Category: Featured

March 16th Birthday Love: Danny Lyon

Known for his photography taken in the immersive New Journalism style, meaning the photographer is a participant in the subject matter, Danny Lyon was born on this day March 16, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York. Lyon has worked as a photographer, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.

Crafty Recipe: Cooked Playdough

As many of you know, I am a big fan of playdough.  Usually, I prefer to make a non-cooked playdough since it takes less time and I can make it with my kids.  Sometimes, though; I like to make the cooked playdough since it usually lasts longer than the non-cooked. What you need: 1 1/2 cup of …

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February 25th Birthday Love: George Harrison

Happy birthday to “the quiet Beatle,” George Harrison, born February 25, 1943 at 12 Arnold Grove in Liverpool, England. Here is Harrison’s 1970 hit “My Sweet Lord” from the triple album All Things Must Pass. “‘My Sweet Lord’ has got a mantra in there and mantras are – well, they call it a mystical sound vibration encased in …

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February 20th Birthday Love: Sidney Poitier

Happy birthday to the wonderful Sidney Poitier, born on this day February 20, 1927 in Miami, Florida. Some of his most loved film performances include his roles in Blackboard Jungle, The Defiant Ones, Lilies of the Field, A Raisin in the Sun, To Sir, with Love, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and In the Heat of …

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How To Make Pure Coconut Oil Soap

For most soap recipes, you have to mix several different oils to achieve a good soap that is moisturizing, cleansing, and has a nice hardness.  However, with coconut oil there is a way to get around having such a complicated soap recipe, and that is by superfatting. “Superfatting” is adding more than 20% of oil …

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Connecting With Love

Did you know that just thinking about love releases endorphins from the hypothalamus of the brain into the bloodstream? Chemical magic happens that makes us feel good. As with other themes, in writing about love we writers try our best to be original. Don’t want to fall into that netherworld of clichés. Don’t want to …

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“Flirtation” by Rita Dove

Flirtation After all, there’s no needto say anything at first. An orange, peeledand quartered, flares like a tulip on a wedgewood plateAnything can happen. Outside the sunhas rolled up her rugs and night strewn saltacross the sky. My heart is humming a tuneI haven’t heard in years! Quiet’s cool flesh—let’s sniff and eat it. There …

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Amigurumi Snowman Pattern

I had some leftover white, pink, and grey skeins of yarn from the baby blanket that I last posted, and I liked the color combination so much that I made this amigurumi snowman & scarf with the yarn. Here is the snowman crochet pattern. Supplies Vanna’s Choice® White Vanna’s Choice® Silver Heather Vanna’s Choice® Rose Shocking Size F/3.75mm Crochet …

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Swirly Birds of Paradise Tropical Soap for Valentine’s Day

Here’s a useful and whimsical gift idea for your loved ones – Birds of Paradise tropical scented pure coconut oil soap!  The fragrances in this soap combine sweet and tangy fruity scents with island hibiscus, making for a true tropical getaway. This is another one of my favorite superfatted pure coconut oil soaps – I …

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How to Make an Upcycled Juice Carton Birdhouse

I’ve been on a quest to upcycle every container I use and decided to make my juice cartons into bird houses!  These are mainly decorative, but I put one of mine outside anyway, just to see! This is a great project to do with the kids, too, just be sure that an adult does all of …

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