Crafty In Cobb

Hey, Cobb County Parents! It's back to school for the kiddos on Monday. Ready or not it's time for reading, writing, arithmetic and snacks! It is a long, long day for them starting from Kindergarten onward. A good morning snack can take them a long way. While there are a lot of nutrient-packed ready-made snacks available at your local grocer, there's lots of quick and easy ways to make a snack for them to enjoy. One of my favorites is muffins. They take almost no time and I often make them to use up fruit that's about to go off, especially bananas. The following Choco-Chip Coconut recipe doesn't use any fruit but it is packed with flavor and fiber, which will make their taste buds happy and their bellies full through lunchtime. Choco-Chip Coconut Muffins Makes 12 Ingredients 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 cup flour 1/2 cup buckwheat flour (sub, quick oats) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolat...

Are you an avid hiker, naturalist or just like to sit out on in the fresh air? Or do you simply enjoy beautiful sights? Of course, beauty can be found just about anywhere. Because I am lucky to live in a wooded community I am treated to a daily concert of sights and sounds and no day is the same. The Artist Andy Goldsworthy Source: Kidzworld.com As someone who has always enjoyed nature and art I was thrilled to discover the art of Andy Goldsworthy. Although I've known his work since the mid-nineties he never ceases to enchant me. If you don't know who he is, prepare to be amazed. Goldsworthy is a man who enjoys the colors and textures of nature and presents them in a way you likely have never seen before. And, you don't have to be a nature-lover to appreciate his art. Rowan Leaves & Hole Source: Morning-Earth.org Goldsworthy is considered a pre-eminent "Earthworks" artist. This trend in art-making was popularized in the 1980s and 9...

Think it's too late to garden this year? Not so! It's a great time to plant for fall color. No matter where you live there are some plants that enjoy - even need - cooler weather. And they reward you with pretty blooms starting in September with many lasting weeks and weeks. There are some high-maintenance varieties - requiring staking and pruning all summer and fall. This is not what Summer Casual is all about. We are all avid gardeners and know many very pretty varieties that are low-maintenance from spring through fall and will return beautifully year after year. The three we recommend are sure to please and easy to find at your local nursery. 1. The Hardy Mum - Zones 4-9 This plant has loads of choice for colorful blooms - yellow, orange, red, purple as well as variegated colors. With regular watering these plants grow nice and bushy with loads of flowers. They grow very well in pots and so are suited for small or large spaces. Because of their tolerance of the cold...

COLOR immediately attracts attention. Color Theory is the art and science of color interaction and its effects. For artists and designers color theory is of interest because they need to know the expressive effects of color on our mind and spirit. COLOR INTERACTION Color Interaction refers to the way colors influence one another. COLORS ARE NEVER SEEN IN ISOLATION. Color also looks different depending on the lighting and adjacent colors. Below is an example of simultaneous contrast . When you look at the two brown squares, how light and dark does each look? For most the brown square on top of the left blue side appears brighter. This is due to color contrast . Blue and orange are opposite colors. Because the brown square has a lot of orange in it there is the appearance of contrast. This causes BOTH the blue and brown to appear brighter than they actually are. So, clearly, the change of a single color in a work of art or de...

  Date Night is just a few days away! If you're a busy couple with lots on your plate Date Night may not always be a priority. But carving out time to spend with your special someone should be and it doesn't have to be a fancy, expensive, lengthy event. Hang Solar String Lights for Ambiance Celebrate each other this weekend with sundaes on the deck (or balcony, porch, terrace, etc). It's a deliciously simple way to hang out, talk, catch up with what's going on in each other's lives and relax. Mood Lighting Using Citronella Candles Is Romantic and Keeps the Bugs at Bay A Classic Sundae with Vanilla Ice Cream, Strawberries, Chocolate Syrup, Whipped Cream, Sprinkles & a Cookie.

Do you love hot weather and the beach - the Caribbean, Hawaii, Bali, Key West... anyplace where you can live outside all year long? The Hibiscus flower is a flower that needs heat and is seen as symbolic of a tropical or at least a beach lifestyle. The photo was taken mid-spring in beautiful historic Charleston, SC.   Shown here is a wonderful palette for you to use anywhere in your home, indoors and out, to get you to the place you want to be.  

Does your porch still look like it's mid-February? If so, it's time to get moving to make your outdoor room user friendly! If you live in a heavy pollen area like me (pine, oh, there's just so much of it) the cleaning will require a little muscle. But once you're done you'll reap the benefits for months on end. This is what my deck looked like a week ago, saturated in thick pine pollen, chair cushions still in the garage and planters with no flowers. Not awesome. Before I could do any decorating I had to clean. First, I swept all the debris I could and then washed down the deck and furniture with a hose. I had the setting on jet in order to get as much pollen out as possible. I cleaned in early afternoon. I was in full sun (wear sunblock!) and the temperature was about 80F. So, the water felt really great. We had guests coming to dinner but I knew everything would quickly dry. The sling chairs and deck were dried by the sun in less than 15 minutes! Slin...