You're Dynamite Teacher Appreciation Gift {Teacher, Dad, Valentine, and anyone else} Free Printable Tag

I am totally excited about this gift idea! Why? Because my son is totally excited to give them out. I have tons of cute ideas, but some aren't necessarily the kind of ideas that make my son excited. It's difficult to find things that just aren't too girly. Even though this isn't pink with flowers or bows, I think girls might even like this as well. I have tags made for teachers, dads and grandpas, and some that aren't specific at all. I am going to use those for the boys on my soccer team. They are 6. They named themselves The Dynamites. Perfect!

You will need:

1. Red card stock (You will get 4 per 8x11.5" piece)

2. Pencil

3. Ruler

4. Cord, twine, pipe cleaners, or other semi-stiff rope-like material for the fuses and tying everything together

5. Rolos

6. Double-sided tape and or hot glue gun

7. White card stock or paper to print tags on

First you need to make your Rolo wraps. You need squares that are 3 1/2x4 5/8". See below for how I measured. You will have 4 wrappers for every piece, so you can plan accordingly.

Next, wrap your Rolos. Use double-sided tape or hot glue. I tried both ways, and preferred using hot glue. Make three for one dynamite bundle.

Then, glue two together with the seams hidden in the middle. Place the fuse on top. The fuse can be made of just about anything. Try to find something that will hold shape though, as ribbon would just flop over. This cord worked pretty well, but pipe cleaners would also work, or even twine. Glue third stick on top. Wrap with cord, tie, and attach tag. I cut my cord extra long and wrapped two or three times, just because I thought it looked more authentic.

If you would like to make single sticks, which I am doing for my soccer team (can't see moms thrilled with the boys receiving THREE bars of candy) just tape the fuse inside the wrapper before rolling it up.

Way too much fun!!! Totally reminds me of the Road Runner or Tom and Jerry! I would love for you to download and use my tags for personal use. Would you mind leaving a comment? I love hearing that  they are being used! Here they are...

Dynamite Teacher Printable

Father's Day Tags can be found here.
Tags for every occasion can be found here.

Again, I used a 3-inch punch. But you could trace around a glass or even cut them into squares if you wanted. I left a couple for tags without specific labels on them on each sheet, just in case you needed one for an uncle, principal, or some other dynamite person. Enjoy!

For more teacher appreciation ideas, click here.

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How Does Your {Fairy} Garden Grow? DIY How To Plant A Fairy Garden

Do you have a fairy garden? We planted our this weekend. It adds so much charm to our yard. If you want to create a special place for the fairies in your garden, you probably need to know a few things:

1~ Fairies love flowers. They use them for all things and are even named for their favorites. They make beds out of them, hide in them, jump on them, and even use some to drink from. Use lots of different plants in your garden.

2~ Fairies like all things shiny, gems, glass, glitter, and mirrors. They love anything sparkly, so make sure to leave some pretty things  in your garden.

3~ Like all magical creatures, fairies love sweet things. We like to leave out crumbs of bread or cake with frosting or honey. Just a little goes a long way because fairies are not very big.

4~ Fairies love color almost as much as they love sparkles. They like bright pieces of fabric and ribbon or any other colorful things to decorate their spaces with. Make sure to add a splash of color sometimes, you will find the fairies may leave things in your garden as they add to the beautiful place you have made for them. We find gems and other new things all the time.

5~ Water, fairies need water.  You can create a small pond, or use a thimble or milk cap to leave some water out for them. 

6~ Fairies like fun music, but they don't like loud noises, so if you are outside hollering or fighting with your siblings, you will scare them away.

7~ If you don't believe in fairies, they won't come to your garden. They want to be celebrated and loved and won't waste their time where they are not treated well. 

 We used some accessories that Grandma Daisy bought from our local nursery. I love the miniature gardening tools, beehive, and birdbath. My little man loves the boy fairy statue. My son wanted a river, so we used some blue glass gems from the dollar store. He collected rocks from the yard to make a stone path from the  house and across the bridge. Isn't it lovely!?!?

When you make your garden, find a container with a large surface area. This way you will have lots of space for all the fun things you wan to put in it. You could use an old wagon, washtub, or a planter shaped like a bowl. Make sure it has good drainage. We punched holes into the bottom of our washtub with nails and a hammer to make sure the water could drain well. Try to find plants with little flowers and leaves, and that don't grow too big, or you will outgrow your space. We used thyme, lobeilia, bacopa, and blue spruce seedum among others. Use your imagination when looking for plants. Look for small plants that might look like tress to fairies or for ground cover that will spread and look like a green meadow. Use your imagination, anything is possible!!!

Do you have a fairy garden? What things do you include? Do you have any tips? We'd love to know more~ if you would share your thoughts we would be grateful!

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Have You Seen The New Free Printable "Thanks for helping me learn and grow" Tag?!?!?

Remember this post?

Now there's a FREE printable tag that you can use for your teacher gifts!!!!

Learn and Grow Printable

I use a 3-inch scallop circle punch to cut it. If you don't have one, use a clear glass, turn it upside down, center it over the tag, trace around it, and cut it out.

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Triple Threat Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies

The other day I made some of these.

Triple Threat Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies. Want some? Thought so. Click here.

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Have You Heard About the Online Auction for Relay For Life?

Are you looking for some great products at low prices?  Do you love contributing to a great cause?  If so, join Between the Lines and over 20 sponsors as they host their first ever Online Auction to support Relay For Life.  The winning bidders will make their donation directly to the Relay For Life site, so you won't have to worry where your money is going.  Plus all bids and email addresses will go to a private Google Document, so you won't have to worry about being spammed.  Between the Lines will keep bidders up-to-date on the highest bid on their Facebook page so don't forget to check in to see if you were outbid.  Show your support for Cancer Research by joining in on this great event!  Together we can help the world Celebrate More Birthdays!

My friend Kel, from Between the Lines has organized this amazing fundraiser for Relay for Life. Check it out, She has some amazing sponsors who have donated tons of fabulous prizes. I'll be there, will you?

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At My Grandmother's Knee {Cookbook Giveaway and Some Winners!!!}

**Sorry, giveaway is closed**

I have such a treat for you today! Recently, I was given the opportunity to review this great cookbook. It is filled with  recipes and memories passed down from Southern grandmothers. The recipes are fabulous, and it's so neat to be able to glimpse into these amazing women's lives. The author, Faye Porter, does a fabulous job capturing the love and guidance so many of us have experienced with our grandmothers, and yes, probably in their kitchens. There are so many tempting recipes, but my favorite and the first one I am going to try is the Red Velvet Cake recipe on page 198. It looks so authentic, and has the real Red Velvet Frosting - the one made with milk that is cooked. Don't get me wrong, I like cream cheese frosting, but that's not how my mom makes her Red Velvet Cake, and I have been searching for a recipe like this! I will let you know how it turns out! 

The other recipe I can't wait to try out is the Blueberry Pancakes. You will find it below on page 21.

Buy		Read

Don't they sound delish? You absolutely cannot go wrong with Blueberry Pancakes!While your flipping through to get to the Blueberry Pancakes, take a minute to look at all the other yumminess {Patsy's Chocolate Chip Pancakes, and Sausage Biscuits} you will find, and remember, this is just the preview! There's so much more packed into this delightful book like, Nanny's Coconut Cake, Blackberry Fried Pies, and of course, Grandmother's Deep-Fat-Fried Chicken. 

As if it could get better, they have offered a copy for one of my readers! All you have to do is leave a comment telling me about a memory or favorite recipe you have with your grandma!

This giveaway is open to Crazy Daisy followers only, so if you aren't one of my amazing followers, now's the perfect time. This giveaway closes May 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM. The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be drawn.

If you simply can't wait to see if you're the winner, you can purchase this book here.

  

PS - It's about time I announced some winners!

The winner of the Green Market Baking Book is Elena, who said, "The book sounds great!

We try to be green in the kitchen by using natural cleaners, and recycling. We also buy fruits and vegetables from the public market (still can’t afford to buy organic all the time though).
Follow your blog publicly with GFC (Elena Shkinder-Gugel)."

The winner of the Aliens All Mixed Up book was, Heathery, who said, "I'm a Facebook fan! (Heathery H.)"

The winner of the Taffy Box Baby Spoon was, Karen, who said, "I LOVE the birthstone charm necklace (all of it really!!)."

The winner of the Jessie Steele Apron was, Mary, who said, "Wow!!! I'm glad I found you...I wear an apron everyday in my house.I am a facebook follower too. I love the Vintage Kitchen Ava Apron."

Congrats, and Good Luck everyone!

Disclosure:  I was provided with a cookbook for review and offered to host a giveaway. I did not receive monetary compensation and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

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Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Strawberries

I am addicted to cookbooks. I love looking through recipes. I think it's an addiction that has been passed down from generations~ my mother shares this addiction as does my grandma. I think we could even toss my great grandma and even my aunts into the mix as well. With this in mind, you can imagine my delight as I walked passed a table at the library with an entire stack of Southern Living there to keep... for a donation. I didn't have any cash, but that sweet librarian told me I could take them if I brought some money with me next time. We are sort of frequent fliers at the library and I think she knew we would be in soon. I dug into the stack and carted off five or six with the most yummy food pictured on the cover. Which is were these strawberries are inspired from. They had me at Salted Caramel Strawberries. They however, dipped theres in mixed nuts, and I couldn't do without dark chocolate. Both probably would have been divine and I could probably handle a layer of toasted coconut smothering all that caramel. Maybe next time. Anyways, seriously, yum.

Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Strawberries
*Recipe by Crazy Daisy adapted from Southern Living, April 2009 (no link available)

20-25 large strawberries, depending on size
40 caramels, unwrappped (put the kids to work)
3 Tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
Sea salt, optional
wax or parchment paper

 Spread wax paper over counter or on cookie sheets and spray with cooking spray. Rinse strawberries. Pat them completely dry with paper towels (the caramel will not stick to damp strawberries).

Microwave caramels, cream, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 3 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every minute. Dip strawberries halfway into caramel mixture. Place on prepared wax paper.

Place chocolate chips in to a zip-loc bag. Microwave for thirty seconds. Take bag from microwave and use fingers to knead chips. Repeat until chocolate is melted. Cut a small piece off the corner of the bag and drizzle chocolate over strawberries. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, if desired.

Let stand for about ten to fifteen minutes or until set. Serve immediately or cover and chill. These are best used within eight hours, however ours were in the fridge for a day or two and my husband still adored them.

What do you think? Perfect summer dessert! Don't you think?

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Easy Fabric Flower Tutorial {How To Make Fabric Flowers}

A little over a year ago, I started this blog on a whim, not exactly sure where it was going, or if anyone would ever look at it {thanks, everyone, for being a part of Crazy Daisy, which simply would not be without you}. These flowers were posted in those early days.

I had the confidence to share them, but not to tell how to make them. You asked, but I didn't think I really knew how to write a great tutorial. However, in this year I have learned a lot,  found some focus and direction, grown a little confidence, and am finally sharing the how! So, if you are still interested, here you go. Thanks for hanging in there and being so patient as I journey through this adventure.

You will need:

*Fabric
*Scissors (you may want to use a rotary cutter and cutting mat, if you have them)
*Needle
*Thread
*Fabric Glue
*Buttons or other embellishments
*Broach Clips, Alligator Clips, Headbands, or whatever you wish to use your flowers for

Method:

1. Fabric. Think about your fabric. In my opinion, batiks work best because both sides of the fabric are colored which means if your flower is wispy or has movement, there will never be a discolored ugly side peeking through. You can use regular fabrics, but I would reserve them for flowers with shallow cuts so that the petals won't have room to flip or twist showing the wrong side of the fabric.

2. Width. Think about how big you want your finished flower to be. Cut a strip, the width of the fabric, half as wide as you want your flower to be. For example, if you want a flower to be about 5 inches in diameter, cut a 2 1/2 inch strip the width of the fabric. Sometimes when my flowers are smaller, I don't need the entire strip, and sometimes when they are larger, I actually use two strips, layering the flowers for extra fullness. It just depends on how full you want your finished product to be. After you play with it a little, you will get a feel for what works best for you.

3. Petals. Get creative. This is where you design the type of flower you want. Fold your strip in half, carefully lining edges. You can just cut, or draw your pattern first using a sewing marker (the ink disappears with water). Make sure your pattern, specifically your petals, end at the folds and not somewhere in the middle or you will have some funky two-headed petals in your flowers.

You will be able to change the kind of flower you make, by altering the way you cut your fabric. Here are some examples. The sky's the limit!

4. Gather. Thread needle. Tie a knot in the end. Push the needle through the end of your strip, the knot will keep it from slipping though. Keeping pretty close to the straight edge, push the needle back and forth through the fabric until you reach the other end, gathering the fabric as you go. When you reach the end of the strip, knot the thread so things don't unravel as you finish up.

5. Shape. Your flower will naturally curl. Using that curl, shape your flower by curling it into a circle. Use fabric glue, or stitch your flower into place. You may either leave your flower as is, or add a button or other embellishment in the center. Again, glue or stitch as preferred.

7. Finish. Cut a small circle of felt and glue on the back over the center to hide your stitches or glue mess and to anchor things down. You can attach a broach clip, headband, or alligator clip, depending on how you want to use your flowers. You could even glue or stitch them directly onto a bag or other project.

Was this tutorial helpful? If you have any questions, let me know. Hopefully, you can follow my directions. I would love to know how you plan on using your flowers and even seeing your finished projects. Leave me a comment, or even a link sharing your ideas. Enjoy your new flowers!

PS - This is the kind of glue that I like to use.

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Do You Remember That Cute Vintage Apron Giveaway from Jessie Steele? Here's How You Can Earn A Bonus Entry!!!

Remember this

cute vintage apron from Jessie Steele? Yep, we are still giving it away! Would you like and extra entry? Head over to Jessie Steele's Facebook page, click like and leave me a comment here, at the original giveaway post telling me you have liked them and you're all signed up for an extra chance!

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You're the Beary Best Teacher Appreciation Gift {with free printable}

 It's Teacher Appreciation Week! We love our teachers and wanted to find a cute way to let them know that we think they are the "beary" best!!! If you love your teachers too and want to make one for them, it's easy~ here's what you do:

Materials:

Gummy Bear
Candy Jars
Beary Best Printable (below)
Coordinating Ribbon
Hot Glue Gun

Grab a candy jar. Mine is from Wal-mart (three dollars and some change). Wash, dry, and fill with gummy bears. Print tags on white card stock. Use a 3-inch punch (mine is scalloped) to cut tag out, or use scissors. Wrap ribbon around middle of jar, glue with hot glue. Glue tag on top of ribbon. Embellish with ribbons around the top or anywhere that suites your jar. Take this to your teacher, say "thanks," and wait for smile.

I think this is a fabulous teacher's gift, but I also think it would work just as well for a girl-friend or co-workers birthday, or even just as a thank you to someone who's helped you out! I'm always in need of a fun way to let others know how much they're appreciated!
Beary Best Printable

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Orange Creme Cake

My hubby celebrated his thirty-something birthday this week! To my dismay, desserts aren't his forte. He would rather have a tall glass of Guiness or gi-normous steak. In fact, think I can probably name the sweets he truly enjoys on one hand~ soft chewy rice krispie treats, cheesecake, Oh Henry Bars (which I shamelessy called his smalltown school cafeteria to get the recipe for, no kidding~ but we'll save that story for another time), chocolate chip cookies, and orange dream bars. I hoped that if I could come up with some version of an orange dream cake, I might discover a birthday cake he might enjoy, or even look foward to. I went for a super moist, vanilla almond cake with orange undertones and an orange creme frosting with cream cheese (cheesecakey, right?). The kids licked the frosting bowl clean and declared the orange cake as "super delicous" and "orangey in a really great way," gramps took some home with him, and my hubby actually cleaned his plate. Mission accomplished. Maybe he will even look foward to it next year.

Orange Creme Cake 

*Recipe by Jasey's Crazy Daisy

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup orange zest, @ 2 oranges

1 cup buttermilk

One batch of Orange Creme Frosting

* Note - I find one orange produces about 2 Tablespoons zest, so two oranges are usually sufficient. If you want, you can juice these oranges and add juice to equal 3/4 cup if need be. However, I slice the oranges and let the kiddos enjoy them and use the best orange juice I can buy always one that is not from concentrate (I like Tropicana, Simply Orange, and Florida Natural). Call me lazy that way.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Grease parchment paper and flour pans. 

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Stir well. Set aside. 

In a 2 cup mixing cup or a small bowl, stir together orange juice and buttermilk and set aside.

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together about 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add orange zest and eggs, one at a time, beating in between each  until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and almond extract.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating just until combined. Bake for about 25 minutes or until center is no longer jiggly and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs when inserted. 

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan. I spray saran wrap with cooking spray, wrap my cakes in it, and pop them if the freezer. This helps retain moisture, and the cakes are much easier to frost when frozen.

Just before assembling cake, make Orange Creme Frosting.

To assemble cake, unwrap cake and place on layer on serving plate. Spread with frosting, only coming to about 1/2-1/4-inch from edges to prevent filling from spilling over. Top with remaining cake layer and frost. I frost sides first, finishing with the top. The cake will thaw pretty quickly, about 1/2 hour or so. Store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

What is your family's favorite dessert to celebrate with?

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