How to work with cool fonts

Fonts are Fabulous!
My favorite thing about choosing the perfect font, is that it really sets the tone for what you are typing.  A great font conveys feeling, style and thought.  That's a lot for just what each letter looks like.  I mean an "a" is still an "a" right?

Obviously, there are times and places for "neat" fonts.  If you are typing your resume, for instance, it is probably not the time to use "Catchup" (which looks like a kid wrote it).  "Catchup" would be the perfect font for an invitation to a 2 year's old thank you card.

Ironically, as I type this, I am forced to use 1 of 7 regular fonts!  Ug, I hate being stifled!  So, before I finish an invitation, scrapbook page, letter, etc, I always look at my font.

Here are some cool regular fonts that came pre-loaded on my Window 7 systems

Have you ever wished that you had a particular font or alpha for something you are typing?  

Well, I found a great website that provided free downloaded fonts.  

dafont

These are all fonts that are created by individuals, which upload and share them for free.  If you like them, you can donate to the creator.  

I have found such cool fonts as Buka Bird, Tron, Alice in Wonderland and Mickey.  

Do you have someone obsessed with Mine Craft, like my son is?  Try this one, minecrafter.

With Easter coming up, would like your font to be made out rabbits? - or other Eastery fonts?

Are you looking for a font for Halloween?

Want to type in Elfish or Runes?

How about something Christmasy?

How about Chinese/Japanese, Mexican, Arabic, or many other nationalities

Would you like your words to sizzle or freeze?

Super Mario Brothers

Goonies

Another tip that I have.  For those of you working in a spreadsheet and creating a check off list.  Try using "zbats" for the font.  Then, try out a "4".  It is a checkmark!  

Well, I hope this gets your creative juices flowing!  Now, go out there and try out some fonts!

Happy Valentine's - How to make V-Day treats

Hello Everyone,
I am just popping in to say Happy Valentine's Day to you all and to share some yummy treats that you can make for Valentine's Day.  Most of these are super easy that don't need a lot of instructions.

First off, Peppermint Hearts

To start with you need left-over mini Christmas Candy Canes!  I happened to have a whole box that I only used a few from.

Line them up on a sheet of parchment paper in a heart shape, like this.

Next, you will need to melt down your white chocolate.  I used white chocolate chips in my glass 2 cup measuring cup and added just a little bit of olive oil to help make it pour easy and thin it out a little bit.  I microwaved it at 50% for 45 seconds and then stirred.  After that, I would microwave in 30 second intervals (still at 50%), stirring in between, until it is completely melted.

Pour white chocolate into the centers of the hearts.  Pour slowly, or you will over fill them (yeah - I did that on the first one!  You can kinda see in the back left).  It is easiest to start on one lobe of the heart, pour down to the point and then back up to the other lobe.

*tip - I realized about this point, that I should have placed my parchment paper and hearts on top of a baking sheet so that I could pick them up easier and place in frig to harden or move.

While the chocolate is still hot, you can add your decorations.  Use whatever you have.  You can sprinkles, candies, etc.  I happen to have this mold from a Vegas event that I did, so I used my red melting candies to make red hearts.

First, I add red sprinkles in the bottom of the mold.

Then, just squeeze melted red candy in the hearts and let harden.  Then pop them out.  They will be sparkly on top and perfect little hearts!

So, back to decorating the hearts, I sprinkled pink and red sugars on the hot white chocolate.  Then, I placed the red hearts that I made on top.  If the chocolate had gotten to hard, I "glued" on the hearts with a little more melting chocolate.

Of course, after doing half of them like this, I realized that a heart should be on the left, but oh well!  :)

And, that is it!  Let them harden by themselves, or you can speed it up in the refrigerator.  You can wrap them individually or serve on a tray.  They are flat, so you can add them to a Valentine's card, too!

On to the other treats.  I must say that I waited until the 13th to go looking for Valentine's Sprinkle.  I wanted to supplement the red and pink sugars that I had with "jimmies" in VDay colors.  EVERY place was sold out.  I went every where.  I started making my own heart shapes, using the red melting candy.  

Here is what else I made:

I made chocolate dipped pretzel rods.  Super cute, very easy and always a huge hit.  Just melt chocolate in a tall thin container and dip end of pretzel.  While it is still hot,  sprinkle with whatever you want.  I added my hand made heart to each one.

Just your basic heart shaped sugar cookies.  I add sprinkles, balls, and melting candy.  Another tip for you.  After you bake them and they spread out while baking, you can re-cut them with your same cookie cutter to get that sharper edge!

So, that's it!  I hope you have a fabulous (and sweet) Valentine's Day!