Link Party Hot Fun in the Summertime

 It's no accident that the whole country is having record heat at the same time the
Hot Fun in the Summertime blog party's about to kick off.
 That's just how hot this party is!

Link up on one, be seen on all 5 blogs.

Here's the rules: 

We're really nice people and party rules are about the same everywhere....

* You MUST link back to your host or your party entry will probably disappear into linky limbo
* Please link to your specific post and not your main blog
* No Etsy, advertisements or sales.... DO link your projects, crafts, furniture, recipes, hot dance videos, whatever you want to showcase as some of your best summer fun
* Be polite and be a follower of your host ...don't forget to follow my FB page too!  You get extra brownie points if you *like* the BlissRanch FB page, because I really have no idea what I'm doing on there and am in need of some *friends & likes*
* Please check out some of the other awesome entries. Link the love and make some new friends.  I happen to think I have the best followers around, so I'll share them with you.
* You are welcome to enter a few times.
* Make sure to come back and see if you've been featured and grab an
"I've been featured" button from the sidebar.  I'll be sending you a congrat's note if you are.
* The party runs every Friday all through July so I'd be honored if you would put the button on your sidebar so others can find it through your blog.

Home First Aid Kit Recycled Tool Box

Inspired by Suzanne over at MeridianRoad, I pinned her lunch box turned first aid kit and set out on my merry garage sale way to find one of the millions of lunch boxes I see every week.  

Free Dresser Coming Soon

Caution... this is a teaser post.

I know my fellow bloggers are familiar with how to do a teaser post.  They have teased me a time or two the past six months with waiting to see their cool projects.
I have learned well from them and I am repaying the favor.

I got this dresser free.
Free is good.
Free at a garage sale.
I couldn't take it with me right away and when I came back to fetch it they had put a 'sold for free' sign on it and one that said 'spoken for'.
They were as excited to get rid of it as I was to take it.  Yes siree.

Free turned a big yellow lemon into a cool rock n roll dresser a few months back.
Because it was free I took chances, I had nothing to lose.

I'm taking some chances with this one too.
I think you will be surprised.
And I think it was Brawn's idea.

I think you will be surprised both by the color and by what the dresser becomes.

Feel free to leave a guess in the comments.  

Free is good for dressers and guesses.

That sample spot sure looks like the purpley pink goo used for tummy aches.
It dries darker.
Bless it's little Pepto heart.  (That's what we say up North).

The dresser will be making it's debut in July.
Probably the 2nd week in July.

And why do I need to finish the dresser by then?
Because of the party.
What party? 

 Hot fun in the Summertime.

Five Blogs, Five Fridays.

First Link Party Ever.

The Pillows Of Bliss Ranch

Boy that's a dreamy post title huh? 
Only a party with Linda @ItAllStartedWithPaint could get me to take my camera around in the wee hours of the morning, while people still slumber, creep into their domain and take photos of their pillows.  You see it's Pillowpalooza party #2 and I hate to miss a party. 

I have always loved pillows, but feel like I just never seem to get it right with them.  I was thinking I don't have any, but Lordy they are actually everywhere. 

I'm not going to be sewing and gluing up any pillows like these coffee sack ones from the last Pillowpalooza Party.  I made four, or maybe it was 5?

#2 Daughter could be known as the pillow princess.  She has more than her fair share.

These kitten ones are some of my fav's.  They are like vintage post cards.  

Really cute for a little girls room.  Except my girl isn't little anymore.  

She doesn't like change.... on her window seat anyhow.

She also has this pillow to remind her how many frogs there are out in the world.

 And as she grew up so did her cats.  Her kittens turned into wild animals.  

You have all seen the famed zebra-cat right?

This one should say Pillow Princess.  

She is the princess, and believe me she never lets us forget it!

I have these leaf print pillows in three rooms..... mudroom, family room and kitchen.  I don't dislike them.  Those ones are in the mudroom on a bench I painted a few months ago.

The cedar porch has a big fish pillow, it's the one that didn't get away I guess.  It was hanging on the wall before a little redo.  My grand kids love that big thing.  It's over 5 feet long to the end of it's tail with a face only a mother could love.  Don't you want one?

If you catch the master bedroom on a day like this photo was taken, you would find the pillows on the bed.  But usually they are on the floor next to the bed like they were this morning.  And they might be staying that way all day.

 This cute Bessie Pease Gutmann pillow is now on the chair in the master bedroom.  

There is a very neglected stairway and window seat with pillows that match my dining room.  I started blogging in January to redo the dining room.  Hmm.......

 The family room has a mix of pillows, none really go with each other.  In addition to the coffee sack pillows, there are these ones made from a vintage bedspread.  I really like these, and I have a few more.  They lived in the bedroom of daughter #1 but ended up in the closet when son #2 took it over.  I pulled them out a couple weeks ago.

This is my favorite - envelope style.  The fringe part is from the bottom of the bedspread.

And this Northrup King seed sack pillow.  I like it too.

This little pillow is on an old childs rocker.  

 

There were lots of boring pillows I didn't take pictures of, and several rooms that I *think* have pillows in them, but I never made it past the doorway to find out.  Those rooms belong to the male species in my home. 

The guys pretty much rule the game room and the pillows in that room are in places like this:

And if there are pillows in their rooms, I suspect they were under the clothes on their floor.

I have one more pillow.  I used it in my very first magazine copy cat challenge.  

With the right person the pillow message lasts.  The man that puts up with me will be celebrating 31 years of wedded BLISS this week.  To little 'ol me.

Linking up to The Pillowpalooza Party @ItAllStartedWithPaint

The question is, which pillow will I link? 

  Can't forget the pillow Linda herself made for me.  You can check out her Etsy shop for all her dropcloth designs, she has some gorgeous samples.  

How funny would it be to enter her own pillow in her own party?

I Finally Passed On

I can cross something off my list.  Passing On.  Not the permanent life altering passing on to the next life (oh now that's deep huh!), but the passing on of the pass it on project.

Remember my post about being a lucky duck here?  I told you about being part of the Pass It On project...... it was months ago so if you don't remember I understand.  I slapped myself for being so slow with it.

So what was my problem with getting it done?

The "What":  It wasn't that I didn't know what to do. It wasn't that I didn't know what to pass on.
The "When":  I certainly knew when to pass it on, and that was much sooner than I eventually did!
The "Where":  It could be anywhere, there was no limit.
The "Why":  Basically to perform a random act of kindness.  Why do something nice?  Because we all can!
The "Who":  And herein lies the problem.......it was that I love all my blog friends so much I could not decide who to pass it on too!

Really.
Like Lay's tater chips, I did not think I could pick just one.  But I could not send to 20 (unlike my crazy Pass It On mentor).

Fortunately some of my buds from my fav blogs were already participating so I didn't double up by asking them again.  I agonized over who to pick, how to pick, and finally I came to the conclusion I just couldn't pick.  So I put a bunch of my favorite blogs into a bowl (if you are reading this there is a good chance you were in the bowl) and I used the scientific method.

The scientific genius

 I had the princess in pigtails reach into the bowl and pull out a name.  No competition of who I liked more, it was strictly a matter of if you were already in the bowl, I wanted to pick you.  This is KEY.  It was like my children, I loved them all - each for their own qualities and things they contribute to me being me.  So no matter who was pulled out, I was going to be thrilled.

I also had to determine if the person plucked from the bowl would be able to participate because there is a commitment.   Then I had to say to myself..... self, be not afraid.  Just offer it up, if they can participate they will.  If not, it's not personal so get over it.  Then I quit talking to myself.

So someone received these baubles of kitchen beauty.

I reused the original Pass It On paint chips that I thought were so darn clever......

Packaged up the goods and shipped them off to where the yellow jasmine blooms.

South Carolina. 

But Bliss, you ask, who did they go too and what are these jeweled pieces of art?

These are cake testers.  You know, the diva version of the familiar toothpick.  A couple years ago #2 daughter started making and selling them to pay for her gas to college.  You can read a bit about them on her shout out page, or see more on her Etsy site. 

The cake testers are unique, original, useful and pretty....... like the blogger who received them.  I put them together specially for her with agates and all glass beads.  I also told her every time she stabs the helll out of a cake she can think of me.

The recipient blogger doesn't like to bake, not even a little, but from time to time she has too and since she is the queen of her kitchen she deserved to have a tiny scepter of kitchen bling.

This gal can whip up a truffle with a cake filling and you do need a tester for that...

Or she can turn you on to a new beer because she's friendly like that....

She hosts home tours that make you drool (you may never see mine but not for lack of trying only lack of cleaning).  She might just be one of the reasons you are reading this now - she brought us together when our blogs were infants.  She has a secret crush on a musician that I would tell you about, but some things are private in blogland.  Funny how well we get to know folks in a short amount of time.  My all time favorite link party also happens at her place (notice the cute Valentine by Moi  when you click).

And she dooo love her some Halloween.   If there is some link thing and project judging going on this Fall, SO count me in (insert my evil laugh here).

She is a friend too many, and I doos think of her as one of mine.  Heck I even spray painted coke cans in pastel colors inspired by her.  It's pretty inspiring to be able to inspire someone to paint coke cans to begin with, 'ya know? 

So I should doo like ya'll and be a tease (the Northerner said ya'll.  Or is that yawl?).  Tell you I'll have the reveal tomorrow.  But I'm way too nice to leave you hanging like that.

So in my very best James Bond voice I give you the recipient of my pass it on project........... Doo's, Debbie Doos.

So because I couldn't send a cake tester to all my bestest buddies, in July I will be hosting a giveaway so everyone can enter to win one.  Details on that and also my very first link party with 4 other great bloggers......... coming soon!

Hankie Noodle Dandy

The pool noodle party has arrived hosted by some of my favorite bloggers.  

If I sound excited it's because I am, simply because I'm actually ready.  

Usually I'm scrambling at the last minute for link parties or miss them all together.  

Not this time, no siree.

I'm on top of this party I am.

Literally - I could float around on it.

Dough Horseshoes or Lucky Bagels

I am determined to have an entry into at least one of the Bloggy Olympic events.  I missed the decorating event last week and this week it is kitchen.  Paint is coming up. The hostess with the mostest for kitchen week is Jane @ JanesAdventuresInDinner.  While you are there admire her new blog design, it's cute.  Then admire what she made for the food event.  Yum.  Very yum.

Lord knows I am not a food photographer, and forget that I've been cooking and making edibles all weekend and never took a picture of one thing.  I'm also not very good at writing a serious tutorial. 

Currently I have the best darn tater salad in the fridge, chicken marinating, a 7 bean dish in the crock pot and a rhubarb cake cooling on the stove.  I didn't take one photo.  Bad Bliss.  A photo of a cooling cake?  Boring.  Bean dish.... looks like mush in the crockpot (and that's being kind).  Raw chicken?  Dangerous.  Tater salad...... secret recipe.

So I went back through my thousands of photos to see if there was any recipe I have ever made that I took a picture of.

One time we had Cornish game hens on the grill, I think someone gave them to us.  Notice Brawn has "parts" grilling for the dog.  Not sure why I have a "during" photo of this.  No secret tips or recipe for them either so they are out.

Photo from The Whimsical Wife

Eureka!  Bingo!  By George I've got it!  A while ago I did make homemade bagels - and miracle of all miracles I did take photos!  The recipe came from The Whimsical Wife.  Mine were more like dough horseshoes, so pretend they are pretty, but the famdamily liked them and ate them all.  (These would of been a good entry in the Stinky Linky party over at HatingMartha).  I also Googled homemade bagels after because I seriously never thought of making my own, and there are more recipes than you can throw a horseshoe at.  Bagels are not hard to make, so if you have never tried, I suggest you do, just don't model the ones you make after mine.

Boiling a dough Horseshoe, otherwise known as Lucky bagels

The recipe below is from the Whimsical Wife. Hard to believe mine are from the same recipe as the photo of hers huh?  Hey, I said they tasted good so forget they weren't much to look at!

Makes 8

Ingredients:

4 cups bread flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp instant yeast

1-1/4- 1-1/2 cups of warm water.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. You don't have to worry about soaking the yeast when you use instant yeast (most yeast sold these days is instant yeast). The dough should feel stiff, but add the extra water if it's really stiff, or you can't get all the dry flour incorporated.

Plop the dough down onto the counter, and knead for about ten minutes, or until the dough is uniform and smooth.

Cut the dough into 8 equal sized balls, and let rest for 10-20 minutes.

Pre heat your oven to 220 Degrees.

Now, take each of the dough balls and using two hands, roll it into a little snake on the counter. When the snake is longer than the width of your two hands, wrap it around your dominant roiling hand. The dough rope should be wrapped so the overlapping ends are together at your palm, near the start of your fingers. Now take the two overlapping ends, and use your palm to squish/roll these two ends together. Once the dough is fused, you should have a perfectly circular bagel-to-be! This is the only part of the process that can take a little practice before your bagels will look really professional. Don't get discouraged if they don't look perfect, it just takes practice!

Let your bagels rest on the counter for about 20 minutes, and meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, and grease a large baking tray lightly. You can just rub a splash of vegetable oil and rub it around.

After the 20 minute wait, your bagels will start to look puffy, and it's time to get them boiling! Add them as many at a time as you can to your boiling water without crowding them. Boil for about a minute, turn them over, and boil for another minute. Take them out a let dry for a minute and then place them on your oiled baking tray. Repeat until all the bagels are boiled.

Add the tray to the oven, and after 10 minutes, flip the bagels over, bake for another ten minutes; and they're done!

Let them cool for at least 20 minutes, get the cream cheese ready, and feast on what's got to be one of the best weekend brunch treats possible!

You can add any toppings you like to these. To make sesame, onions, poppy seed, caraway etc. etc. bagels just have a dry plate ready with the seed or spice topping spread out on it. After the bagels have come out of the boiling water, place them face down onto the seeds, and then place the seed side up onto the baking tray. Bake and flip as for plain bagels.

Recipe Adapted From: http://johndlee.hubpages.com

I wrote this post to be in the Bloggy Olympics and by gosh I'm linking the bagels up!

Janes Adventures In Dinner

The Keg and The Crap

Opps I crafted. 

Yes I realized that silly song phrase has probably been said over and over on blogs, but really..... I don't care.

As for me crafting, sure I've painted some furniture and done some stuff here and there, but when I say I crafted, I mean I-Me-Moi, actually came up with something  

all     on     my     own.  

Sooooo my fine feathered friends...... this post was originally shared with Cassie over at Primitive & Proper so if you want to see what I made out of this 10 inch high 1919 Root Beer keg you will have to stop there.