Sew Many Memories Bespoke Keepsakes by Thistle Cottage

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Welcome To My Sewing Room - Video

 

 

 

 

Currently, I'm working on: Elf Accessories

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Harvest Wreath Video DIY Video

 

 

It's Mint Julep Time at Thistle Cottage ~ Here's The Recipe!

 

Fresh Mint Juleps from Thistle Cottage

 

It's Mint Julep time, here at Thistle Cottage!  I have two large pots of mint, that are doing really well in the full sun. I love to mix-and-match the spearmint, applemint and Kentucky mint in my recipes!

 

Lately, I've been making batches of my "Minty Simple Syrup", which I use in my favorite Mint Juleps!  Here's the recipe:

 

 

MINTY SIMPLE SYRUP:

 

Pick 2 quarts of fresh mint. Wash the mint, remove the leaves and discard the stems.  Place 2 cups of sugar in a large saucepan.  Add 2 cups of water.  Stir the sugar water over medium-high heat until boiling.  Add the fresh mint leaves.  Stir.  Turn heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Strain the Minty Simple Syrup into a container. Refrigerate.  Discard the mint leaves.

 

MINT JULEPS:

 

Fill a glass with ice.  Add 2 shots of Minty Simple Syrup. Add 1 shot of Honey Bourbon.  Garnish with a fresh mint leaf and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sew Many Memories: Bespoke Keepsakes From Thistle Cottage

 



 

Sew Many Memories ~ Bespoke Keepsakes

 

 

 

 

 

 



Favorite outgrown clothing is now a Personalized Keepsake Teddy Bear!  Memories to last a lifetime!

 

Click Here to order Your Custom Keepsake!

 

Each Bear Uses YOUR CHILD'S outgrown clothing

 

How to Keep Your Facebook Page Private

 

Want to keep your Facebook photos and information PRIVATE?  Have you ever gotten one of these posts on your Facebook page, asking you to keep your friend's photos and information private ...       

  It goes something like this:

     FACEBOOK HAS CHANGED THEIR PRIVACY SETTINGS ONCE MORE!!! DUE TO THE NEW “GRAPH APP” 
     ANYONE ON FACEBOOK (INCLUDING OTHER COUNTRIES) CAN SEE YOUR PICTURES, LIKES, AND 
     COMMENTS. The next 2 weeks I will be posting this, and please once you have done it please post 
     "DONE"! Those of you who do not keep my information from going out to the public, I will have to 
     DELETE YOU! I want to stay PRIVATELY connected with you. I post shots of my family that I don't 
     want  strangers to have access to!!! This happens when our friends click "like" or "comment"... 
     Automatically, their friends would see our posts too. Unfortunately, we cannot change this setting
     by ourselves because Facebook has configured it that way. 

     PLEASE place your mouse over my name above (DO NOT CLICK), a window will appear, now move 
     the mouse on “FRIENDS" (also without clicking), then down to "Settings", click here and a list will 
     appear. REMOVE the CHECK on "LIFE EVENTS" and "COMMENTS & LIKES". By doing this, my activity 
     among my friends and family will no longer become public. Now, copy and paste this on your wall. 
     Once I see this posted on your page, I will do the same.....

Well, there's Bad news and Good news! 

The bad news is: Facebook is a Public Forum. Your Facebook posts will not be private, unless you stop "Liking" or commenting on your friends posts, photos and information.  The above suggestion, which asks friends to go change the settings, only lessens the number of your posts; forcing friends to manually visit your page, to see what you've been up to! Your posts may not show up on their wall, but it will show up on yours! Every time you "Like" or "Comment" on a friends post, in your news-feed; all of their friends can see the comment too; even if they are complete strangers to you.  This includes posting directly to someone's wall. Have you ever noticed, when clicking on a popular photo, (to enlarge it); the string of comments, from complete strangers... sometimes from other countries?  Have you ever noticed, when wishing someone a "Happy Birthday", on their wall; that you can see all the posts from strangers, who have also wished them a Happy Birthday?  Your Facebook Page is NOT a private forum!  It was not created to be private forum, and asking your friends to click on a lot of settings, will not accomplish the level of privacy that your desire... it will only end in frustration.

The good news is, that Facebook has created something called "GROUPS".  When you create a Private Group, then only members of the group can see the groups posts.  Groups can be created for family members, for example, who want to stay connected through Facebook; but who do not wish to share their family photos and comments with the general public (ie: their 3,429 best friends on Facebook).  

I have a private Facebook group, that I created about a year ago. Since I have an interest in my Family Geneaology and history; I created a private Family Group.  The members of the group are all family members, on our family tree: such as cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles etc...  We can all post information, PDF files, photos and "chat" via. the Family Group Page.  Since many of my family members live in different states / countries; It's like having an ongoing family reunion!  I am able to post things on the Family Group page, that I would not want to post on my Facebook Page (old family photos, exchange of family history and geneaology information, newspaper articles, PDF files with geneaology lineages etc...).  Our Family Group is Private, and in order to become a group member, you need to have an invitation to join!

Here is a tutorial on How to Create your own Private Group, on Facebook:

• Go to your own Facebook page and click "Home" (located on the top, to the right of your name). You should now see your news feed.
• On the far left (under your profile picture), you will see a column.  It contains the list of items that pertain to your facebook page.  Scroll down and Look for the word "Groups".  
• Click on "Create Group"  (see photo below)

A new window will appear.  (See Photo below):

• Type in a Name for your new Private Group (ie: The Smith Family, The Ya Ya Sisters etc...)
• Start adding group members by typing in their Facebook names.  Once you start typing, you can just select them from the list that pops up. (note: the new group members must already be friends with you on Facebook). Start with just a few... you can always add more group members later on, at any time.
• Now, THE IMPORTANT PART:  Select "Secret".  Only members see the group, who's in it, and what members post.
• Click on "Create"

A New window will appear (below):

• Choose an icon
• Click "Okay"

Your new "Private Group" facebook page will open (see sample below):

Above, you will notice "The Smith's Private Family Group" is the name of this sample Facebook page.  The member's photos, will appear at the top of the page, as a "cover photo".  The initial (automated) post, will contain the name and profile picture of the group's creator.  The next automated post, will contain the new member's names and profile photos.  Note:  For the purpose of this blog, names and profile pictures in the above photo have been purposely blurred).

• Make sure there is a green Check Mark next to the word "Notifications" as seen in the photo above (it is located on the far upper right quadrant, just below the cover photo).  By placing a check mark, you will be notified when a group member posts on the group's page.

Here's a closeup of the "Notifications" check mark (see below):

Next, you will want to add your new Group to your Facebook Favorites List (see photo above):

• Click on the little florette Settings button (located to the right of the word "Notifications")
• A drop-down box will appear, as shown above.
• Click on the words "Add to Favorites"
• As a future notation: You can always come back and click on this button to add more people to the group (see photo above: first line on drop-down box), create group events, send messages, edit settings and even create another private group!

In the photo below, you can see that this new Group Page has been added to the Favorites List (located on the left column of your own "Home" page).  This will give you easy access to the page, whenever you want.

Now, you are ready to add information and Edit your page settings!

First, you will want to write a description of what your group is about.  

• Click on the word "About" (in the photo above: look to the right of the Group Name; under the cover photo).
• The page will change.  Under the cover photo, you will see a little Lock and the words "secret group" ... then the words "Edit Description"
• Click on the words "Edit Description"  (see below)

In the photo above, you will notice that under the words "Secret Group", a box is available.

As shown in the photo above:

• Type your Group's description
• Click on "Save"

The "About" tab:  Review the page, you will find that you are able to ...

• See all current members and their profile pics
• Add more group members
• Send messages to members

The LAST HURDLE: We are almost done!  I promise   :)

Edit your Groups Settings (see photo below):

To Edit your Group's Settings (shown above):

• Click on the "Settings" button, a drop-down box will appear, as previous
• Click on "Edit Group Settings" as shown in the photo above

Your page will now look like this (see below):

Scroll down to the section, below the words "secret" (refer to the top of photo, above):

• Membership Approved:  Click on "any members can add members, but an admin must approve them"  (otherwise, any members can invite the general public).
• Group address - skip it, for now
• Description: was already completed in the previous steps
• Posting Permissions: Click on "only members can post in this group"
• Post Approval: Leave this Un-checked, or group members will not have the freedom to post anything, without your approval!
• Click "Save"

Now it's time to have fun!

• Click on the "Photos" tab, to upload pics and share them with the group
• Click on the "Events" tab to create Group Events
• Click on the "Files" Tab to create Group files, or upload PDF's
• Click on the Name of Your Private Group, to go back to the news-feed page

If you found this tutorial helpful, please let me know by leaving me a comment! (please note: your comments will not show up immediately, I need to approve them first; to avoid spam).

Good Luck with your new Private Facebook Page!


Regards,

Thistle Cottage

Making Shadow Silhouette Portraits

Shadow Silhouette Portraits ~ Family is the most precious gift ~

Recently, I decided to make shadow portraits of my Grandchildren ... all six of them!  It is quite easy to do, very inexpensive,  and does not take much time. Each portrait cost me less than $1.25.

The frames were purchesed at the Dollar Store for $1 each.  The black & white posterboard was .50 cents each. I was able to make six portraits for a total of $7.00.

Materials:
1 frame for each portrait size 8" x 10"
White Posterboard
Black Posterboard
Profile Photo of the child
Printed copy (or photocopy) of the profile photo to fit in an 8 x 10" frame
tape or glue
scissors
pencil or pen



Step 1: (photo below)

Take a profile photo, filling the camera screen almost completely. 
Print the photo out onto a regular 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper

Step 2:  (photo below)

Carefully, cut out the profile, with scissors.  Make sure you leave little curls, or hair accents in the photo.  It will add interest to the shadow...

Step 3:  (picture below)

Decide if you want your portrait facing left, or right. 
Place the photocopy on the black posterboard, facing the OPPOSITE WAY that you want (you will be tracing the BACK side of the shadow portrait, that way your tracing lines won't show on the front).  In this case, I had to flip the photo over, and trace on the blank back-side.
Carefully, trace around the photocopy.  I used a black fine tip pen.

Step 4:  (photo below)

In the photo below, you can see where I have traced the outline onto my black posterboard.  Carefully, cut the profile out; making sure to pay attention to the facial features that are unique to each child!

Step 5:  (photo below)

Cut a piece of White posterboard, to fit in the 8 x 10" frame.  Place a small piece of folded tape or glue on the back side of your shadow photo.  Tape (glue) it to the white background.  Insert it into the frame.

And it's done!  The project took about 20 minutes to cut the original photo, trace, cut again from the black posterboard and then assemble into the frame. 

I love this project, because it matches any decor and decorating style.  These could look old-fashioned, prinitive, or more contemporary... depending on the colors or paper that is used, and the type of frames they are in.  These shadow pictures will really never look outdated and they are so unique!

Enjoy your family ~ They are the most precious of gifts!

Thistle Doodle ... Our Golden Doodle

Recently, I made a page on facebook called "Thistle Doodle Loves to Play".  The FB site was actually written with my Grandchildren in mind; giving them links to fun and kid-friendly websites.

 

 

 

 

I've also created a few Thistle Doodle coloring pages for the kids to enjoy:

 

 

Here's the link to Thistle Doodle's coloring page (above):   http://www.thistlecottage.yolasite.com/resources/ThistleDoodleColoringPage1.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's Thistle Doodle's link to the Coloring Page above:

 http://www.thistlecottage.yolasite.com/resources/ThistleDoodleColoringPage2.pdf 



 

 

 

If you have younger children, or grandchildren; you may want to check out the new "Thistle Doodle Loves to Play" on Facebook.  Lots of great ideas for crafts, upcoming Holiday links and Educational links! 

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thistle-Doodle-Loves-to-Play/470842732966077?ref=hl#!/pages/Thistle-Doodle-Loves-to-Play/470842732966077

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Thistle Cottage Spring Gardens

 Gardening at Thistle Cottage has always been quite a challenge.  Most are in shaded areas under the oak and maple tree canopies; other areas only get dappled sunlight in the afternoon.

I usually try to have a mix of bulbs, along with trees or shrubs in each bed. The above photos are located on the east side, and get some dappled morning sun.

The large rhodendrons are facing north east, and get early morning sun; then are shaded the rest of the day

Each year, I do plant a variety of annuals for color.  This year I planted pansies; in oranges, yellows, whites and purples.

Lilly of the Valley grows on the west side, in the afternoon sunlight

The old Lillac Tree, is among my favorite flower in early spring.  I always look forward to cutting the large blooms and placing them throughout the house.

This large white shrub blooms every year; although I'm not sure what it is :)

Large two-toned Iris are from my Grandmother's garden in Upstate NY; given to me by my favorite Aunt Betsy.

Full of wisdom; our old tree watches over Thistle Cottage

Orange Asiatic Lillies and also Tiger Lillies are in abundance, and usually bloom through August

Snow On The Mountain, is a lovely ground cover, which has white lacey blooms (similar to Queen Annes Lace); however, it is also a very invasive species -- take care where you decide to plant these!

Hostas are usually the "standard" for shaded gardens; although I do mix the varieties for contrast; and also have a few ground covers as well

Spiderwort (above)  grows very well in shaded areas; it has long grassy leaves and delicate purple flowers.  It spreads and fills in nicely every spring.

Two Tone Purple and White varigated Pansies - one of the annuals that does well in partial shade

The ground cover above is very slow to spread, but has pretty purple blooms that last throughout the spring and into summer.  The neon green ground cover (below) is called Creeping Jenny.  It is slow to start, but once it takes off it really spreads and also give a vibrant contrast to the garden.

Knock-Out Roses do very well in full to part sun

Yellow Asiatic Lillies seem to bloom all at once, and last only about 2 weeks; but are well worth the display.

Red Asiatic Lillies are in bloom (for the second year)... They are a bit slow to grow, at appx. 8" tall

The small evergreens have found a temporary home, near the hosta; facing the west.  They seem to enjoy the sunsets; but alas, they will be moving this fall to their permanent home on the north side of Thistle Cottage!

Here are a few cute Gardening items from Joss & Main on my Pinterest Board:

http://pinterest.com/trailbugz/gardening/

How Cute is This :)

... I fell in love all over again... with this shabby chic red Asian Sink Basket ...

So many uses in the garden or Patio...

And Lastly....  A Cute Garden Recipe...  Enjoy!