New Design

I made this charm necklace yesterday.  I love working with freshwater pearls and like how this turned out.  It has such a romantic feel to it.

Blue Sky

It was so nice to wake up to the sun shining and a blue sky this morning!  It sure does make it easier to get out of bed :)

Valentine's Day Cards - ETSY Finds

Just a reminder that Valentine's Day is right around the corner!  Now is the time to pick out the perfect card for your Valentine.  I love receiving cards and letters, and a handmade card is even better!  Here are some of my favorites from ETSY.  I'd love to receive any of these from my Valentine (honey - hint hint). Click on the shop's name to be directed to the ETSY shop.  Be sure to check out these shops for their Valentine cards as well as other cards - they all have such cute cards!

Noteworthy Press

Maria Palito

 Nouveau Nancy

Square Paisley Design

Paper Daisy Card Design

Oh Geez! Design

Valentine's Jewelry ~ Freshwater Pearls

A few more Valentine-themed jewelry items listed in my ETSY shop:

Valentine's Jewelry ~ Amethyst & Garnet

Some new items listed in my ETSY shop:

Broccoli Cheese Soup ~ Recipe

I love Panera's Broccoli Cheese soup - My parents and I will stop there for soup and salad when we're out and about running errands.  I've been meaning to try this recipe.  The only thing holding me back was the velveeta - I've never used it before!  I considered using shredded cheddar cheese instead, but I'm glad I didn't.  The velveeta melted so smooth and this soup was really good!  In my opinion, it's all about moderation.  This was a treat!  And perfect for dinner a few nights ago when the wind chill was 9 degrees.

My hubby tried to help me take pictures.... obvsiously that didn't go so well.  He insisted on having his fingers in the picture.  Good grief!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1/2 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli

4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (1 pound) loaf processed cheese food, cubed

2 cups milk

2/3 cup cornstarch

1 cup water



In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened. Add garlic and saute for a couple minutes.  Stir in broccoli, and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Reduce heat, and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk.

In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into water until dissolved. Stir into soup; cook, stirring frequently, until thick.

Enjoy!

ETSY Finds - Yellow!

It's January  - the beginning of the 2 hardest winter months in Cleveland.  I say hardest because it's cloudy, cold and snowy.  I recently read that 93% of Cleveland winter days are overcast and cloudy.  I try to look on the bright side - I've been organizing a lot and have tried a few new soup recipes.  I was browsing ETSY and found some pretty yellow items that made me smile.  I had fun browsing these shops and hope these bring some sunshine and warmth to your day too! 

This sunny card from Popper & Mimi Paper Crafts is perfect to send to someone just to say hi!  The shop has lots of other fun cards for all occasions.  In the world of email and texts, I still love the send and receive cards! 

Did I mention it's cold??  The wind chill was in the single digits last night.  This chunky scarf from Lululuvs in Brooklyn is perfect for these days.  Check out the shop for lots of other colors and designs - such pretty hand knitted items!

This ceramic pig planter from Fruit Fly Pie just makes me smile!  I love the ceramics in this shop - be sure to check out the tiki owls!

You'll find these juicy lemon sugar scrubs and other handcrafted bath and body products at Luster Canyon.  This shop is filled with scrubs, soaps, lotions and other bath & body items.  Pamper yourself today!

This clutch from toriska reminds me that Spring is around the corner!  This shop has so many pretty colors of clutches, wallets and handbags.

I hope you enjoy browsing these shops!
Stay warm ♥