Easy Ornaments for Gifts or Tree

Pipe Cleaners to the rescue. About the time I ran out of my previously purchased decorations for packages, one of my daughters grabbed 3 pipe cleaners and pinched and twisted the above holly leaves and berries into existence. It took her a matter of seconds and intrigued me enough to give it a try myself. The holly and snowflakes each used 3 pipe cleaners, the bells and tree each used two. Just take a closer look; they're not hard to figure out. And, with a package of 55 pipe cleaners selling for $2, they end up costing only about 4 cents each. (For reference, the tree is 5" tall.)

Studio Update - December

I thought the onset of Florida winter, with its intermittent rain and cold spells, and the inevitable busyness of Thanksgiving and Christmas would bring progress on the little studio to a halt but I overlooked the tenacity of my son and his wife. A little at a time, not every day or even every week, but with a flurry of activity here and another there, they are still bringing my dream to life. There is now a step, a porch and a porch roof and as they add sheets of tin to the the steep pitch, my husband and I work slowly to fit and install the antique door and windows.

With money and time in short supply, this project would never have gotten off the ground had it not been for my son. "It won't be quick," he said, "but it's not impossible."

There are philosophical lessons in his words. Lessons that I learned from my father and obviously passed along. One step at a time. Never give up. Never lose faith. Pray as you go and don't forget to be thankful...I am.

Easy Pina Colada Cake

These cakes contain a tunnel of Pina Colada goodness and are beautiful when sliced.

• Using store bought Angel Food cakes, cut a slice from the cake tops, about 3/4" thick and set aside.
• About 1/2" in from the outside and inside edges of the cakes, press the tines of a fork straight down, into the cakes creating the outer boundaries of what will become a channel.
• Once the channel boundaries are established, use the fork to remove the cake between the two rows of fork perforations (Be careful not to dig out all the way to the bottom of the cake.)
• Fill the channel with 1 package of prepared instant Coconut Pudding to which 2 cup of very well-drained Crushed Pineapple has been added.
• Replace the tops on the filled cakes.
• Frost with ready-to-use Cream Cheese Icing.
• Pat Flaked Coconut onto frosted cakes.
• If desired, coconut may be "toasted" using a torch as when making a flan.