We have this tree in our front yard. It is an annoying tree. It is annoying because it's limbs are somewhat brittle and break easily and it also drops nasty little spiney balls all over the yard. It is a Sweet Gum tree.
For several years it has been a pain and I have grumbled and complained about it. But this year it was part of my list of goals to revise my attitude toward the sweetgum tree. So I took it upon myself to learn a bit more about it.
Did you know sweetgum balls have the same stuff in them used to make the vaccine against the bird flu?
Well it does.
Did you know crafters really like those little spiney boogers? I didn't.
And that people in certain parts of the country have no idea what a sweetgum ball is?
Well anyway, after discovering that they are good for crafting, I made a new goal of finding a few crafts to use them for. This spider is my first. Next up a holiday wreath!
My gson had a "Cars" themed birthday party.
I used Little Debbie Cakes to hold the signs up, and graham crackers for the signs and the road. I used those tall elegant cookies that look like sticks to hold the back of the signs, and sprinkled crumbled candy, over the top with candy boulders. This is one of the easiest cakes I've ever made. My DIL had the cars from McDonalds, and I found the little car shapes on the sides at Walmart. If you make this for a little one, be sure and press in tire tracks like the car has run off the road, and use a toothpick to make the cracks in the dessert floor. Just icing the graham crackers like you're putting butter on bread, and voila! a birthday cake!
