Fashion Eyes: Smokey or Rose - Black or Pink?

Rose Shadow with Lavender Liner

There are some really beautiful eye make-up choices out there.  See 25 Best Eye Makeup Tutorials for  a few of those. A really bad idea that came out some years ago was using green mascara along with the lid shadowed in either the same shade or slightly lighter shade of green.  This style looked like mold dripping from the wearer's eyes. Whereas a dark blue mascara can provide a more elegant evening look.  Best advice for dramatic eyes, skip the new mascara colors that can make you look sickly and stick with classic black or dark browns.

A few years back it was the smokey eye,  which started out as soft browns and a little smudging of liner.  Somewhere along the way, people overdid this style to enhance the goth look with thick black rings all around the eye.  Instead of looking mysterious, it looked more like they were in a fight and left with a black eye.  I assume the  sunken and sullen look caused by the black eye was supposed to give a more walking dead zombie look. So maybe it still works for Halloween, but otherwise it is an outdated look.

Now the smokey eye has moved into the rose eyes look, using pink or peach tones instead of brown or black.  Smudging may be soft blues or purples under the eye, caution if using dark pinks or reds is not a good look.  Unfortunately, when overdone by circling all around the eye, this look makes one think the person has pinkeye.  That is contagious disease most people would prefer not to catch.

Glamming Up Your Office or Workspace - 5 DIY Ways Infographic

Does your work area seem a little dull?  Want to add some feminine touches to make your office, desk, or workspace more you?  Check out the below do-it-yourself infographic from Quill for 5 clever ideas to glam ordinary office supplies and spruce up work areas at home, work, or school.

If you are not crafty, instead of embellishing clips, you may want to just buy some cool clip colors or consider getting color-packs of staplers, tape dispenser assortment, and/or clip boards to share with others at the office or in the family.  You can buy desk-top mesh or solid organizers and trays in multiple colors as well.  Each person with a different color prevents office confusion or family arguments over who an office supply item belongs to.  You can also split up packs of  bulletin board push pins and whiteboard magnets by color per person.  If you still want feminine touches other than pink, consider already bejeweled magnets and possibly save more money than it takes to DIY.

If you order supplies for a business office, you might also want to check out infographic at Buying Office Supplies in Bulk: Which Items are Yes or No?

Grandma's Recipe: Orange Pineapple Salad

Orange Pineapple Salad

Does this old Orange Pineapple Salad recipe from my Grandma P sound like a cool compliment for your Spring through Fall BBQs?  It makes a large bowl so if should feed a small group.  This was another one of her recipes from the 1985 church cookbook.

Ingredients:
2 (8oz) cans crushed pineapple, drained
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 pint cottage cheese
2 small boxes (or 1 large box) orange jello
1 large tub Cool Whip

Instructions:

1, In medium bowl: mix fruits together in large bowl.
2. In large bowl: pour dry jello over cottage cheese and mix well.
3. In same bowl: add fruit, then Cool Whip to cottage cheese and mix well.
4. Put in refrigerator until ready to serve.

You may also want to check other family recipes in Five Cool Spring thru Summer Desserts.

American Gemstones: Texas has Topaz, Pearls, and More

As I continue to journey through birthplace stones of the USA, I decide to go to check out options for the big state of Texas.  

TOPAZ - The official Texas state gemstone (since 1969) is Blue Topaz and the state also has a special state cut called Lone Star used for turning gemstone rough into jewelry quality stones.  Topaz for jewelry is covered in birthstones post of this blog (Blue=December, Gold=November).  Next time you visit Texas, consider going to dig for topaz as part of the trip..

PEARLS - Yes, Texas has pearls.  Some Texas lakes and rivers are known for edible oysters and some mussels that produce freshwater pearls.   These mussels are mostly harvested for “beads” to start cultivating larger pearls in China.  Texas even has its own rare Concho pearl which comes in pink –peach-purple colors and irregular shapes, rather than the normal white round people think of when they hear pearls.  Few of these rare pearls are jewel quality, although still nice collector items.  A Concho pearl that is gem quality usually made into jewelry by local artisans.  Mother of pearl from the mussel shells is experience resurgence in jewelry as a low-cost gemstone alternative and because it can be carved for additional interest.  Before this new interest, mother of pearl was mostly featured in Native American jewelry and buttons for clothing in the West.  Unfortunately, Texas mussels do not create highly lustrous mother of pearl, so it is mainly the exported nuclei for future imported pearls of the East.   Now that you know about Texas pearls, find out what is happening in the little known world of Texas mussels, clams, and oysters.

MORE - Texas offers lots of gemstones besides the state stone of Blue Topaz.  In Central Texas you can prospect for: agate (chalcedony, onyx), feldspar, fluorite, garnet, jasper, opal, tourmaline, and quartz gemstone rough.  Or search for the precious metals of copper, gold, pyrite, silver. or other ores.  Maybe you are not a gem hunter or pearl diver, but still a rock hound - you can find different rocks, geodes, and fossils in Texas too.  Yes, Dinosaurs have been found in Texas!  Before doing any digging or diving anywhere in Texas, make sure you have the appropriate licenses and permissions so you don't end up with a fine or in jail...

For other official Texas state nature items like bird, flower, tree - visit Lone Star Junction.

Three New Testament Bible Study Guides from Grandma's Bible

People, who used Have You Got Mustard? study guide to grow their faith, have asked me when I might do another Bible Study.  This summer I put together three books to cover studying the New Testament (NT).  These guides are in a study series based on my Grandma's Bible.  Each book includes my Grandma’s notes and selected verses she highlighted for personal study.

Every Christian should know what the Holy Bible says for themselves.  Study guides help  Christians dive deeper into God’s Word. All Christians should study Acts and Revelation so they know what is there. Studying the Gospel is an excellent way for new Christians to learn who Jesus is. Some say the four Apostles writing the Gospels seem to report things differently or even contradict each other. Consider how a detective investigates and interviews multiple witnesses. Each witness give the detective information based on their viewpoint so he can form the full story of what actually happened.  So each Apostle shares the story of Jesus from their unique perspective.

Below are details on these books and the subtitles link to Amazon to purchase 5x8” paperback or Kindle ebook .  For group study, discussion questions are provided at the end of each Bible book covered.

1.      Grandma's Bible: Letters to the Body of Christ is on the letters to the seven churches from the Apostle Paul, published June 18, 2018.		The Bible books covered include: Romans I Corinthians II Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians I Thessalonians II Thessalonians
2.      Grandma's Bible: Letters to the Followers of Christ is on letters to Christians, published July 10, 2018.		Books covered include: I Timothy II Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews James I Peter II Peter I John II John III John Jude
3.      Grandma's Bible: The Gospel and Signs of Christ is on the 4 Gospels, so Christians learn who Jesus is. It includes signs of Jesus in "The Acts of the Apostles" and of his second coming in "Revelation of Saint John the Divine", published July 24, 2018.		The Bible books covered include: Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Revelation

Why did I choose these cover colors?  Green is for spiritual Growth, which was the purpose of letters written to Christians.  Red represents Words (and Blood) of Christ, so the books of the Bible in that guide include lots of red-letter text for Jesus speaking.

All the above guides recommend studying the Bible using at least two versions and have lots of space for note-taking.  This can be done with versions of print Bibles or on-line.  Verses in these Bible Study guides to re-read are formatted so they may be easily copied from e-book version to paste into electronic Bibles.  Underlined verses are those that included a handwritten margin note by my Grandma, which shows in the image at beginning of personal study. 

BibleGateway.com is an excellent source of multiple Bible versions on-line.  Check out how to view multiple versions on one screen from their instructional blog post.   If you want to dive deeper for your notes, BibleGateway also has a few  FREE options under the Study link.  This link is to the right of the verses.  To find out about these options, check out how to use commentaries, study Bibles, and more on their blog.  

Interesting finds in the week following publication of last book in NT series when doing searches of my chosen series name. I found a few wonderful things to share.  On the Godly Women Blog,  I found examples of Christian grandmothers, each of which reminded me of parts of my own Grandma's character.  On Nona Kelley Carver's poetry site, I found a poem about her Grandma's Bible.  (You can find my poetry and other books on my site.)  Also there was  that this old "Grandma's Bible" song from 2008 album recording by the Heritage Singers.  These song lyrics emphasize the importance of both Grandmas and the Holy Bible.  You can still buy the vintage CD on Amazon or on the singers website from the link above.  Lastly, I found this audio story regarding a lost/found Grandma's Bible on Guidelines International Ministry site.

Quick Chicken Alfredo Soup

Like my mother, I like soup and have shared my recipes on this blog before.  I have seen recipes for from-scratch  Chicken Alfredo Soup and easy recipes using a  jar of Alfredo Sauce to create a soup.  I wanted to try this soup but without pasta so it would be less carbs.  I decided to make my own version as a pantry soup (meaning you keep most items ready in your pantry so you can make it anytime).

You need the following ingredients:
1/2 Roasted Chicken (or cooked canned chicken
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 (20 oz) can Alfredo Sauce
1 (15 oz) can Peas and diced Carrots

Bring everything to a boil in pan, then reduce heat to let simmer for 6 minutes.
Makes 4 bowls of about 1.5 cups each.

NOTES:

• I use the meat from thighs, legs, and wings for the 1/2 I put in soup.  I eat the breasts at other meals or chop them up for chicken salad.  Also, you can substitute 2 large (approx.10 oz) cans of Chicken Breast for the roasted if you want to have ingredients handy in your pantry for a quick meal.
• If you are using a 14-15 oz jar of sauce instead of Hormel Simmer & Satisfy Skillet Meal Starter Chicken in Alfredo Sauce like I use (not really much chicken in there), reduce broth to 1 & 1/2 cup.  
• Do NOT add SALT as it is already salty from broth and sauce.  Soup may seem bland to people who like some spice, so I recommend adding pepper or turmeric as desired into serving bowl rather than putting it in the pan.  This lets the people you are serving decide how they like the soup.  Kids may even want to put a little grated Parmesan or other shredded cheese on top.
• I added the veggies for color and to stretch the recipe a little.  If you do not want to drain veggies, then you will need to reduce broth to 1 & 1/2 cup to allow for the water in can.
• If you don't like peas and carrots, consider making Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo or using diced potatoes instead so it seems more like chowder.

Other soup recipes on this blog include:
- My Chicken and Rice Soup with Sage Seasoning
- Grandma’s Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe
- Our Verde Carnitas Soup and Recipe Variations

Fourth of July Food, Decor, and Clothes

Two magazines this month have great ideas for fourth of July.  Better Homes and Gardens has lots of DIY home renovation and decoration tips, plus gardening suggestions.  The July 2018 issue also includes some creative decorating ideas for the July 4th holiday.  You may also want to check out the really delicious sounding ice-box desserts and outdoor entertaining ideas. 

Family Circle has 12 easy and chic summer dress ideas near the front of this month's issue, although they are nothing really new: sundresses, maxi's, and peasant tops along with the resurgence of dolman and flutter sleeves.  The July 2018 issue includes DIY painting tips for home walls and finger or toe nails.  For 4th of July, there is also BBQ and picnic food options near the back of the magazine.  

Free Helpful On-line Tools for Weight Loss

You can find lots of diet books and guides that help you count calories or carbohydrates in print or PDF.  As well as cookbook for planning meals at home.  Sometimes you need to know information when you are away from your books and printed paper sheets.  Or maybe it is not a nutritional diet plan but rather a physical activity plan.  Perhaps you plan to go to a store as you are looking to buy some exercise equipment so you can work our at home, rather than a gym or walking around town.

Below are a few links you might want to take a look at, then bookmark/favorite the ones you think you will use often.

• Calories burned per exercise or equipment type on FatBurn.com 
• Workout videos for popular equipment types on YouTube channel OldWorkoutVidz 
• Daily caloric intact to reach weight loss goal calculator on VeryWellFit.com 
• Calories for fast food chain by restaurant/brand and food/drink category on CalorieKing.com
• Calories for fast food menus by restaurant/brand on NutritionIX.com
• Calories and serving size for foods at home to plan shopping on WebMD.com

Help me build a better list!  If you know a calculator site or downloadable PDF page, share the link in comments on this post.  I will review it and decide if it is a good one to add.  Thanks!

It’s Fruit Cobbler Season! Two Recipes for Quick and Easy Peach or Other Fruit Cobblers

Peach Cobbler

I love cobblers!  Even as a child, when my mom would ask what I wanted for my birthday, my reply was either Pound Cake or Peach Cobbler!  Mom would say, “You can’t have cobbler as a birthday cake.”  So of course, it would be the pound cake.  The cake was usually preceded by or followed by a cobbler within 2-3 days. 

Sometime after I got married, I began a pursuit of the perfect (yet easy) peach cobbler.  I found what I thought was the perfect recipe for me in the June 1982 issue of Southern Living in a column called “Scrumptious Fruit Cobblers in a Hurry.”  The prized peach cobbler recipe was sent to the magazine by Mrs. Horace Edwards of McCormick, SC.  Besides peach, the column included blackberry, cherry, and apricot cobblers.  Below is Mrs. Edward’s recipe with my notes plus a recipe from my grandmother that is very similar using canned fruit.  Both make a cake-type cobbler rather than a piecrust style.

Mrs. Edwards Fresh Peach Cobbler (circa 1982)

Ingredients:

¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cups sugar, divided (Note – you only need 1 cup if using pre-sweetened jar or can of peaches)

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Dash of salt

¾ cup milk

2 cups peeled and sliced peaches

Directions:

1, Melt butter in a 2-quart baking dish.
2, Combine 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt; add milk and stir until mixed.
3. Pour batter over butter in baking dish, but do not stir.
4. Combine peaches and remaining 1 cup sugar; spoon over the batter. Do not stir.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Yields: 6-8 servings

Grandma Parrish’s Quick Fruit Cobbler (circa 1985)

Ingredients:

1 stick margarine

1 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

3 level teaspoons baking powder

¾ cup milk

1 can fruit (peaches, cherries, apples, berries)

Directions:

1. Melt margarine in a baking dish.

2. Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder, with milk to make a thin batter.

3. Pour batter over melted margarine, and put fruit on top of batter.

4. Bake 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

If you would prefer a cool dessert, check out family’s vintage ice-box (aka refrigerator) recipes in Five Cool Spring thru Summer Desserts.  Or if you prefer a stove-type almost-cobbler, check out Cherry Crumb Cake recipe.

Men's Gifts for Father's Day

Past posts on this blog for father or husband gifts have included jewelry and technology gift-giving around Christmas time.  Links to both ideas and deals were in those posts.

Below are a few links suggesting new ideas to check out for Father's Day this year:

• 22 Standard Dad Gifts
• Personalized Gift Ideas
• 10 Gifts for Sports Fan
• Tech Gifts under $100
• 38 Geeky Gifts 
• Men’s Ring Guide