Patriotic Santa Wine Bottle

Told ya I am trying to get ahead for a change and paint up some 4th of July items. This is my latest design. Hope you like him. This wine bottle would make a perfect patriotic decoration for your home. He is very detailed. I have him listed in my Etsy shop for $40.00. A lot of work goes into this bottle. You can find him at cyndimacsnickknacks.etsy.com. Sure wish I could get the link above to work but have tried numerous times and it just doesn't work. Thanks for looking!

Santa Clothespin Ornament

Don't know why but this santa is one of my favorites. Might be because I love how you just perch him on a branch of your Christmas tree and he just stands there. I know, I'm weird! LOL I finally bought some clothespins to paint some more of this lil' guy. Can't wait to get started. So many things to paint and such little time. You can find this santa at my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CyndiMacsNickKnacks?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Mexican Cornbread Salad

This salad has everything in it but the kitchen sink. I just love this salad and wonder why I always wait to make it in the spring/summer. It would be great year round. You can use it as either a side item or as a meal in itself. It looks great in a big clear bowl because it is layered. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. On my "to make" list very soon. Enjoy!

Mexican Cornbread Salad
1 package Martha White Mexican cornbread mix
8 oz. sour cream
(2) 16 oz.) cans pinto beans, drained
(2) (15-1/4 oz.) cans whole kernel corn, drained
10 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
Cheese
1 c. sliced green onions
Tomato wedges, optional
1 package ranch style salad dressing mix
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. chopped green pepper
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 (8 oz.) package shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare cornbread mix per directions. Combine salad dressing mix, sour cream and mayonnaise, set aside. Crumble half of cornbread into bowl. Top with half each of beans, sour cream mixture, green peppers, corn, tomatoes, bacon, cheese and green onions. Repeat layers. Cover and chill 2 hours. Serve in individual lettuce lined bowls and top with tomato wedges if desired. 8 servings.

Bride & Groom Gifts

I have expanded my line of bride and groom lightbulb ornaments. If you are looking for a unique gift for your favorite bride and groom, look no further. These are also very cute used as wedding toppers. I am open for any ideas and can custom make these for you. I personalize them with the names of the bride and groom and the date of the special day. These can be found in my Etsy shop at cyndimacsnickknacks.etsy.com. They are $35 per set with free shipping. Thank you!

What to Do with Leftover Eggs from Easter

Have leftover boiled eggs from Easter? Kroger still has their eggs on sale so I decided this was the perfect time to make one of my favorite pasta salads. I thought I'd share it with you. Also, on Rachael Ray's show today she told how to make the perfect boiled eggs and I tried it and it worked perfectly! Never too old to learn a few new cooking tricks. They peeled beautifully...now that makes me a happy camper. Here is the trick. Put eggs in a cold pan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a rapid boil, turn off the stove and put a lid on the pan. Time it for 10 minutes, then drain eggs and add cold water to them. Crack the eggs a little bit and let them sit in the cold water for a little bit. This loosens the shells.

Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 cups of Miracle Whip or mayo
4 tablespoons mustard
2 teaspoon vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
10 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 cup pickle relish
Paprika

Cook pasta al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again.

Mix together the Miracle Whip (or mayo), mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gently fold the pasta, eggs, and pickle relish into the Miracle Whip mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and refrigerate until served.

Let's Get Patriotic!

I have been busy stocking up on patriotic ornaments since the 4th of July will be here before we know it. Gotta think ahead! Here are the ones that I currently paint. These would be so cute on a 4th of July tree or just to keep up all year round. I am thinking about painting up a few patriotic wine bottles next. Stay tuned! These can be purchased from my Etsy shop. cyndimacsnickknacks.etsy.com. Thank you for looking!

Oncology Nurse Lightbulb Ornament

Hey there! Sorry I have been MIA lately. This last month of chemo has made me really, really tired. Still feeling so fortunate that I haven't been nauseous through all this. Knock on wood, right? I have 3 more chemo treatments to go and hopefully I am DONE! I begin my last cycle tomorrow. Tomorrow I also see my doctor and we are going to talk about my surgery which should happen around the first week of June. I will get a 4-6 week break between the last treatment and surgery.

I have maintained a very positive attitude about this and still remain very hopeful that I can beat this. I have still given it to God to handle as he thinks he should. I have no control over the outcome. I am still hoping I can make some kind of impact on someone to get screened for this awful disease. I have read a bit more about it and it only scares me so I'm trying my best to stay away from googling about it. Ovarian cancer is more dangerous than all the other female cancers. I imagine it is because there hasn't been near the research done on ovarian cancer than breast cancer because there just isn't much awareness about it. I never gave ovarian cancer a thought. Hopefully, now that Angelina Jolie has come out with her cancer scare it will be more in the spotlight and there will be more awareness. I wish I could do more to raise funds for the cause.

Tomorrow is my last Friday chemo treatment as my last two are on Saturdays so I wanted to make my special oncology nurse's something special since they mean so much to me. We have been through a lot together. Naturally it has to be an ornament and this is what I came up with. Oh, that ugly brown bag that holds the poison that shoots through my body. So happy when this is over! I hope they like it.