Today I made my famous Cranberry & Caramel Date Bars. I have made them for several years and I have quite a few family members who expect them around Christmas time! They are actually very easy to make and they are really yummy if you like cranberries!
Here is the recipe:

Cranberry & Caramel Date Bars

Makes 24 bars.
1-1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
2 + 1/3 cup flour
2 cups oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups dates, chopped
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1 cup (1 jar) caramel ice cream topping (fat free is fine)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cranberries and 2 Tbsp sugar; set aside. In bowl combine 2 cups flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar and baking soda. Add margarine and mix well. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture. Press remainder firmly on the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan. Bake 15 minutes until slightly golden.

Sprinkle dates, walnuts and cranberry mixture over the crust. Mix caramel topping with 1/3 cup flour. Spread over the top. Top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 20 minutes or until light brown.

Cool and then cut into bars.

I also finally have the house decorated the way I want it to look for Christmas. This is my first year decorating this house and thank goodness most of what I already had seemed to fit in with our new house. I just bought a few things to give it a new look and I must say I really like it! I will be trying to get some photos posted up soon.

Now on to some other news:Friends...
I have a couple of friends I especially want to say thank you too!!!
Carrie...you are just so sweet & I am so very glad we met each other! Thank you so much for my goodies that arrived in the mail today!!! You are the best!!!
Rachel...you too are just so sweet! This week literally!!! Those wonderfully yummy chocolate goodies you gave us were sooo good!!! (We ate them before I thought about taking a photo!:)) Thank you Rachel!!!

Sharing...
I wanted to share my first pub in Paper Crafts magazine. I get so excited seeing my creations in print! It might be silly, but it makes me happy!!! They returned my creation to me along with 2 copies of the Jan/Feb 2009 issue! There are some fabulous card ideas in there. I am still shocked that I had a card pubbed by them. I am so not a card maker! LOL!!!
And now for my first blog give away....
Leave me some love and I'll send one of you a copy of the Paper Crafts Jan/Feb issue!!!

And we may very well have one of our own!!!

Today my DH went to pick up a horse to try him out for a couple weeks in order to determine if we (which is really he) want to buy him. We went to see the horse a couple of weeks ago and decided at that time that he was worth trying out and so now we have him and are going to see how he does.
His name is Woody and he is a registered paint quarter horse. Not sure about all the details there but believe me DH knows it all!!! I know DH is so very excited about this opportunity. He has always wanted his own horse and now we have the opportunity to get one. I know it sounds a bit crazy to be getting a horse right now. Money is tight. But DH came up with the wonderful idea to switch hobbies. He used to play the bagpipes. He was really good and traveled all over playing them. He hasn't played in over 8 years. All his stuff for playing has just been sitting around collecting dust. So he came up with the idea of selling it all on Ebay. And it worked! He has officially made enough money to buy the horse and have enough to maintain and care for it for at least a year! Such a clever plan!!! I am so happy that he will finally have a hobby he can enjoy just as much as I do my scrapbooking. He has always been my biggest fan, and now I will be his cowgirl!!!!

Despite not feeling so well this week, (I think I have a bit of a sinus infection) this really has been a good week! And I just found out about something that made it even better.
I have been selected to be a DT member for Magistical Memories!!!!
I love their products & I am just so excited! And I just have to share this cute story. My DH knew it was going to be announced today. When I got online and saw that it had been posted I told him it was posted. He told me to wait so he could see who made it. I clicked to open the post without looking & the next thing I know he is jumping up & down screaming "You made it!". Then I started jumping up & down!!! I am so lucky in so many ways!!!

Magistical Memories
2009 Design Team Members

1. Kristi Bergin-Smith
2. Hilde Stolk
3. Lisa Dorsey
4. Beth Root
5. Rita Shimniok
6. Amy Teets
7. Selena Kimsey
8. Juliana Michaels
9. Jacqueline Walker
10. Amy Coose

Congrats to all you talented ladies!!! This is going to be one fabulous team to work with!!!

You may have noticed a few small changes to my blog along the right hand side. They are small, but more changes are coming! I am in the process of developing a "new" look for my blog and designing my own "logo"! I hope to be able to share it with you all within the next few weeks.

I hope some of you are going to be able to play along at Got Sketch with their mini. It is going to be a fun filled week of great inspiration. They shared their first challenge (prizes are included!!!)today...I just checked it out and it looks so fun! I can't wait to play along!!!

A toot to share...
I just got an email from Layle at Scenic Route and they selected a Christmas ornament I created as a winner for their November Product Challenge! I am so thrilled!!!
I just love this little guy! It is one of those wooden ornaments that when you pull the string the arms and legs move!
Here are my instructions if you would like to make one too.

1. Paint each section of the wooden ornament a color corresponding to the color of the patterned paper you plan to use to cover each piece.
2. Use a permanent marker and trace each section onto a transparency.
3. Cut out the pattern and trace it onto the patterned paper you selected and cut out each section. Use adhesive to adhere the piece to its correct location on the ornament.
4. I distressed and inked the edge of the trim pieces and inked the edges of all of the other pieces before I glued them in place.
5. Mix molding paste with white acrylic pain and swirled in the beard to give it some dimension and texture.

Supplies:

1. Patterned paper
2. Adhesive (I used Scrappy Glue)
3. 1 Pom Pom
4. Brown Ink
5. Various Acrylic paint colors
6. Molding Paste
7. 3 small buttons
8. 2 small black adhesive pearls (eyes)

hugs,
Juliana

ONE. Got Sketch is doing something a little different this time!
It's a week-long class just for you, our Got Sketch supporters!
Since this is the season for giving, we thought we'd give you our early Christmas present!
It's our way of saying thank you.
And yes, it is totally FREE!!
So, go ahead and share the news with your fellow sketch fan friends. The more, the merrier!

To those of you who have been curious but have yet to take one of our workshops, this is your chance to participate & get a glimpse of what our classes are about. It's a sampling of our Got Sketch workshop -- minimized into a 7-day program. We know you will enjoy it!

Here's what you can expect:

• TWO top-notch 12x12 sketches from Valerie Salmon & Janna Wilson
• The sketches will include a sample layout, supply list, instructions, and project notes which are delivered in high-quality printable pdf files
• 1 Sketch Challenge on Day 1
• 1 Tip & Trick Sheet
• An interactive community
• Inspirational gallery from your classmates
• A Live Chat session with Valerie, Janna, & community members
• Prize Giveaways
• A self-paced class: No deadlines, No homework, No tests

The community will open on Wednesday, December 3, and ends December 10.
Register ahead of time to join to be assured that your entry will be approved by Wednesday, 12/3.

Click here to join!
(Membership is required.)


TWO. Magistical Memories is having a HUGE sale!!! Check it out here!