The Life of Mrs. Miles

ZANY ZEBRA ELEMENT

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I hope you like my zebra – seems like there's a regular Noah's Ark of animals being cranked out here. I say a HUGE thank you to Kat for supplying me with the reference photo of the zebra. Look for more over the coming days too! When you use him – be sure to add some drop shadow and a bit of bevel and embossing to make him appear more 3d. I always like to leave it up to you to do your own, in case you need your shadow coming from a different direction or something.

Someone asked me if the photo of me in the sunset at the beach, which I featured yesterday, was from Crescent Beach – you bet it was. Thats one of our favorite vacation spots!

Another reader has asked if I can reload the rope elements I made a while back? For sure, I will hunt them out and get them up here for you in the near future. Thanks for asking.

Thanks so much for all your comments yesterday about the dump - or 'tip' - your comments are as follows, and I do hope I have not missed anyone - though I always get this sinking feeling, right before I publish, that I did. Smak me if I did, ok?

Hi Barb, my Dad and I would also go to the dump. We didn't have garbage pick up on Naramata road so we went once a month to take up the non-burnable garbage. We would find all kinds of stuff and we would bring home all kinds of treasures! Before I moved to Cawston we had tree cuttings and found a tv entertainment centre and we use it today. My hubby drives long haul and he notices all kinds of treasures going to the garbage and he wishes he could stop and pick up, but no room in his sleeper but for him – Lucy

I too used to go to the dump with my dad...and found treasures. Today my DH and I love to go to Flea Markets to poke around for treasures!! - Doty

I always remember going to the dump (in Aust we call it the tip) with my dad when I was little, we always came home with more that we took LOL. Now here the staff go through your rubbish the minute you dump it and resell items in used shops owned by the dump. - Sonia

When I was growing up we were very poor because only my dad worked. My mother stayed at home to take care of 4 girls. However, I never really knew I was poor because to me we had so much. My dad could fix anything. We were the first in our neighborhood to have a color TV because my dad fixed what someone threw away. I had my very own transitor radio that my dad fixed. Do you remember those flexies (they look like a sled on wheels) which was way too expensive for us to aford. But yes, someone threw one away because the brakes were broken which of course my dad fixed. I love doing craft projects. HGTV has several TV shows that show "Thrash to Treasures" that give so many great ideas on how to repurpose or reuse things. While the dump has become very regulated in what you cannot take for free anymore, I love going to Thrift stores and flea markets for many great finds! - Betty Jo

Do you love candles? I sure do. I have to stop myself from trekking up to the dollar store to buy more. See, my candles are another way my mother in law shows me love. For a while, a few summers ago, I asked mom to keep her eye out for candles at yard sales for me. Some to burn, and some to make some wicked fire-starters out of. No, don't worry, I'm not pyro. My sister in law JUDY gave me a marvelous recipe to make some quick fire starters for camping. I did post the recipe sometime way back on my blog, but I'll give you another quick run down on how to make them, before I bore you with the rest of my story LOL!

To make some snazzy home made fire starters you need a PAPER egg carton, some lint collected from the lint trap in your dryer, some wax (leftover candles etc) and an empty, clean tin soup can. You heat up a small, deep and narrow pot filled ½ way with water. Bring the water to a boil – turn the heat down to medium high. Place the wax in the tin can and place the tin can into the water. Allow the wax to melt. Meanwhile, tear the egg carton in 1/2, discarding the top – saving the part with the 'cups'. Fill the 'cups' about 2/3 way with loosely packed dryer lint. When the wax is melted, CAREFULLY pour the wax into the cups, until the lint is covered. Let cool. Let me tell you, when you burn one of these the flames go 2 feet high for several minutes. LOL – you'll be the most popular at your campground on a rainy day, let me tell you!!

So, back to my story. Mom put the word out that I needed candles. See, Mom lives in a housing complex. Everyone knows EVERYONE. If Mom needs something, all she has to do is let those golden words flow from her lips and its like its done already. See, what you don't know, is Dad is a very handy person. Oh, he's not on any kind of a committee for the complex or anything, and he does not work for money, but if anyone needs anything fixed they “Call Bill”... and 'course Dad will never take anything. Mom too, sends her fabulous baking hither and tither throughout the kingdom, blessing others all the time too. So when Mom mentions she actually NEEDS something, you better believe it starts rolling in.

I have like 2 BIG boxes of candles left. Yes, I do need to make a new batch of fire starters, but I want to buy some now too... I need to go up to the dollar store in our plaza because they have these fantastic little tea lights that smell like cookie dough and cranberries and... mmmm – can you smell that?

They also carry these pucks – my favorites are cinnamon and blueberry (I mix those two)
See the thing is, if our place ever got on fire... I mean I have SEEN what the fire starters can do... so I think I will deal with this candle situation soon... before we move for sure.
So I was just reading an excellent article in Creative Homes, on candles, and there is some valuable information I will share with you:

Buy best quality candles. The best ones are made with purified paraffin wax or beeswax. Beeswax is more expensive. Look for an all-cotton wick with no lead core. To find out if it is a lead core, rub the wick against a bit of paper and look for a mark like you would find with a pencil. The best pillar candles are poured by hand. You can tell this by looking for the rings on the bottom, created when each new layer is poured. More rings, the longer your candle will burn.

For a longer burning candle, prepare it before you burn. Remove any labels. Make sure the wick is centered, is straight and remove any icky stuff from the top of the candle's surface.
Burn away from drafts. Burn it the first time in a glass hurricane. If you have to burn in a draft, turn the candle 180 degrees every hour it burns.

Lit candles should be placed at least 4 inches apart and should not be moved once lit.
Use a snuffer to put the candle out, so its not smoky. My own tip, which also works amazingly, is to take a match stick or toothpick and simply 'tip' the wick over into the wax. It goes out and does not smoke at all!

Store your candles in a cool, dry, dark place with a flat surface. A drawer works good for this. Do not refrigerate paraffin candles, this could cause them to crack. To remove scratches and restore gloss, rub the candle with a nylon stocking or a bit of olive oil on a soft cloth.

Oh, another tip from me... if you have burned a candle down to nothingness but a puddle, you can pop your holder in the freezer. Take it out in one hour and the wax will simply chip right off!

All this information about candles has me humming a song I really like the words to. I will share theh words with you:

GO LIGHT YOUR WORLD
(sung by Kathy Tricolli)

There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
We are a family whose hearts are blazing
So let's raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

PSALM 4:6

Many are asking,
"Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

BARB'S HANDY TIP # 218
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