Shelf Ice - Beautiful But Deadly

I have lived along the shores of Lake Michigan my entire life. It is magnificent and beautiful and I feel so blessed to live here and I'm able to stop by any time I want. I, as well as others who live near any of the Great Lakes learn at an early age that the Lake needs to be respected. As beautiful as she is, she can become dangerous and can take anything in her path.

The photos above were taken yesterday. The hubster and I were out running errands and I suggested we stop by and see the shelf ice so we did. We've thad such a cold snap that I was sure there would be lots of ice. Lake Michigan did not disappoint. It looks like you can climb up the ice and you can, you just may not make it back to the shore. Shelf ice is dangerous because it looks frozen and solid, but it's not. There are pockets under all that frozen stuff and if you fall into one of those pockets, you won't make it out alive.

I've seen so many people on the ice (some have not made it back to safety) and I'm thinking they may be tourists who have no idea what shelf ice is all about. Probably some not very bright locals as well. There are signs everywhere warning of the dangers but not everyone takes it seriously.

I've added some links below if you want to learn more about it. If you are near any of the Great Lakes during the winter, I highly recommend you stop by and see the shelf ice. Enjoy it and photograph it from a nice and safe distance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelf_ice

https://www.southshorecva.com/things-to-do/indiana-dunes/things-to-do/shelf-ice-in-the-winter/

New Video - Assembling Your ITH Mini Quilts

A new video is ready! This one will show you how to assemble your mini quilts after stitching the individual blocks. They come out nice and flat every time! You can watch the video right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS1aLYBhliA

Une Mousse au Chocolat or A Chocolate Mousse

This year my granddaugher wanted a Parisian theme for her 9th birthday party. She loves Paris (from what she's seen) and is learning the language. She even changes my google assistant to speak French. After she goes home from a weekend with us I have to change it back to English. Love that child!

I came across this unopened box of plastic wine glasses that we had left over from a party several years back. I almost threw them into a donation box. A few days after that, I was happy I didn't because they were so perfect for our chocolate mousse.

When she's here she likes to bake. Her new favorite is food imposter desserts. Since her birthday was coming up we tried a couple of mousse recipes and we decided on the top one on the list. It's the easiest thing in the world to make and only a few ingredients. We used bittersweet chocolate chips, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. That's it. For a fancy dessert, it sure was easy and not expensive at all. 

The main reason we used the top recipe is becuase of the taste and the texture. It was perfect! Another reason this one appealed to me is because it didn't contain eggs. 

Give them a try and you will have a beautiful and delicious dessert with just the right amount of "fancy."

https://celebratingsweets.com/chocolate-mousse/

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/death-by-chocolate-chocolate-mousse-recipe-2011503

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/chocolate-mousse.html

Hit the Reset Button - Get Out in Nature!

 

Some people love a vigorous workout. I am not one of those people. But mention a hike in the Dunes or any other trail, and I'm there! There is something about nature that makes me feel alive, energized, and renewed. We had some unseasonably warm weather today so when the hubster mentioned going for a hike on a trail, I grabbed my water bottle (OK, it had iced tea inside) and my gym shoes and away we went! You can take the same trail every day and see something new. I also feel like the creative energy flows so much better during and after my hikes.

One of the things I noticed today were these two yellow leaves in the front of the picture. Do they look like dinosaur feet to you? Or is it just me? I did do a little research when I came home and found out that they are Sassafras leaves.

They say we have a couple more days like this. Looking forward to another hike!

NEW VIDEO RELEASED! Cellphone Holder/Case

 

It is finally here! My most requested video. It may look complicated, but it's really quite easy. Stop by and check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9t8AcBJY5Q

Planners and Logs - Printable and Samsung Notes Format

FREEBIES FOR YOU!

For the past several years I've been using a (not free) note-keeping app. Now I use Samsung Notes exclusively. No, I'm not connected to them in any way, I just love their note-taking system. The most important thing you need to know about this FREE app is that it's only available on Samsung devices. I can also view and edit all my notes on my Windows (10 or 11) computer. I downloaded the app from the Windows store which works perfectly. Before that, I would connect my phone to my computer via the "Link to Windows" app that is already installed on my phone. You can also download it from the Google Play Store. It simply puts your phone screen on your computer screen so that you can open all your apps, and photos, and even respond to text messages from your computer.

I like to keep organized so I created some sheets that are compatible with my Samsung Notes app (A4 size) and also made them so they are printable (letter size). I'm sharing those with anyone who might find them helpful. They are free to use, ad-free, no strings attached, etc. Just download the ones you want and you can import them into your notes app. If you are new to Samsung Notes, you might want to download my helpful info and instructions.

You can find the templates and instructions on my website at:

In The Hoop By Sher

These templates are for personal use only. Please do not share them. 

Bobbin Storage Solution - Keep Them Neat

 

I was starting to get so frustrated when choosing my bobbins because of all the loose threads. I don't remember where I saw this idea but I thought I'd try it and it works beautifully.

I went to a home store (Menards, Lowes, Home Depot) and picked up some vinyl tubing. I picked up a whole lot of it (more than enough to share) for under $10. What you need to get is the following:

1/2" I.D. X 5/8" O.D. Clear Vinyl Tubing

The I.D. means inner diameter and the O.D. means outer diameter. 

I found that the easiest way to cut them is to cut off about an 8-inch length. Cut a slit lengthwise then open up one of the ends and cut it into thin (under 1/4") strips. I didn't measure, I just judged by eye. They just need to fit in the bobbin to cover the thread.

Then you just wrap the plastic piece around the thread. That's it, you're done!

ALWAYS Trust Your Gut

 

I know you've heard it over and over again, but are you really listening to that little voice inside your head? Well, you should. If something doesn't feel right, then more than likely it isn't. This is for every life situation. It could save your life or prevent a disaster.

We and our dog traveled for ten days during the holidays. Our first leg of the drive started at our home near Lake Michigan heading to San Antonio to visit our daughter and son-in-law (and all the grand pets). The drive was quite nice with little traffic. We stayed over in Little Rock to break up the trip. The next "leg" we drove from San Antonio to the Tampa area to visit my dad and bonus mom. Again, breaking the trip into two days. Light traffic as well. 

As we left Florida for our return trip home we stopped in Manchester Tennessee for that break. The only bad traffic was through Atlanta, but that seems to be the norm, though I've seen it worse. We arrived at our hotel around dinner time. We stopped and picked up some salads for the room. We got all checked in and sat down to eat our salads. I remember the lady behind the desk mentioned snow was on the way so I thought we should put on the news and see exactly how bad it was. Where we live snow is a winter-long occurrence and everyone is used to it. But here in the south, not so much. They have very little equipment to clear the roads. The weather lady started with the mention of a snowstorm that is definitely on its way in the morning hours and they will be watching it closely. I looked at my husband and said, "lets get out of here." He thought I was nuts since we had just checked into our non-refundable and pet-friendly hotel room. But he trusted my instincts because I had a strong feeling. So we loaded up the car and headed home immediately. We were tired from the drive there but I gotta say, even in the cities, we pretty much had the roads to ourselves. Zero to very little traffic.

When I woke up in the morning and looked at the Nashville area news they were calling it a CODE RED STORM. Telling everyone to stay off the roads. Had we stayed, we would have either been stuck on the highway, sliding all over, or possibly in a serious accident. I suppose we could have rented two more nights in the hotel but who wants to do that? I woke up this morning and the highways along our route was still in the red and orange.

Long story short, when your instincts kick in, LISTEN TO THEM!

Photo credit: Google maps on my computer screen.