Skeet Shooting Advice

We met outdoor adventurers Tessa Wyatt and Mikki Clayton a while back. They both live (and play) in Park City, Utah. Today, they are sharing a few tips concerning skeet shooting:

“Get comfortable with where you place the butt of the gun on your shoulder (everyone is a little different)  and prepare or anticipate the recoil so it doesn’t startle you. When I first started shooting one of my biggest problems with accuracy was rushing the shot. Once I slowed down, got comfortable and confident with my stance, and followed with a little more patience, my accuracy seriously improved.” -Tessa Wyatt

“Just practice, getting out there enough. I also try to shoot with people that are comfortable or familiar with and around guns. There’s nothing that will distract your shot more than someone that jumps at every pull of the trigger. Safety is obviously important but having skiddish energy around you can be just as.” -Tessa Wyatt

DIY Pegboard Storage

As an artist and a crafter, I love having my most used tools and accessories within arm’s reach. That’s why I love these pegboard organizers I created in just 8 easy steps. Follow along to make one for yourself.

You’ll need:

• 1/2 in. x 2 ft. x 2 ft. Wooden Project Panel
• Pencil
• T-Square
• Sand Paper
• 3/4 in. x 48 in. Wooden Dowel
• Drill
• 3/4 in. Spade Bit
• Miter Saw
• 1/2 in. x 4 in. x 4ft. Wooden Plank
• Hanging Fixtures

Step 1: With a pencil and T-Square, create a grid with vertical and horizontal lines across your project panel every four inches.

Step 2: Using the 3/4 in. Spade Bit, drill a hole into the project panel at each intersection of lines on the grid.

Step 3: Carefully sand the wood around each hole so it’s smooth and erase your pencil markings.

Step 4: With the miter saw, cut several 5 inch and 3 inch segments from the wooden dowels. They will serve as pegs and shelf holders.

Step 5: Cut the plank in half with the miter saw. These pieces of plank will serve as shelves.

Step 6: Attach the hanging fixtures onto the top back corners of the wooden panel.

Step 7: Insert the pegs into the project panel and place the shelves on top of the shelf holders.

Step 8: Hang the pegboard and it’s ready for use!

Bowhunting Tips From Tessa Wyatt

This is Tessa Wyatt. She lives in Park City, the wonderland for outdoor adventurers. She’s been bowhunting since childhood and has a few words of advice to share to anyone taking up the sport:

• Get comfortable with your set up and your stance.
• Confidence is a must.
• Having the right weight on your bow makes a huge difference too. If you’re tiring quickly or struggling to get stillness and accuracy in your shot it’s likely that your draw weight is too heavy.
• You want to be able to pretty comfortably bring the nock of the arrow to middle of your cheek/edge of your mouth while keeping your stance strong and relatively square.

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DIY Doughnut Place Cards

Brunch with friends on New Year’s Day is a great cure for staying up far too late the night before. With a little icing and a few doughnuts, you can make edible place cards for your 2017 celebration.

Happy New Year, friends!

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DIY Cookie Notes for Santa

Leaving cookies and a little note for Santa is a sweet tradition that my family baked up every year. It got me thinking, why not combine the two? After all, I think I’d appreciate a cookie note. Wouldn’t you?

You’ll need:

• black and white cookies
• food coloring markers
• and a few warm sentiments to share

If you’re looking for a few pointers:

• Practice writing with the food coloring markers before you start writing on your cookies. It can take a while to get the hang of it.
• Short sayings are easier to work with.
• Feel free to use whatever colors you’d like. Go ahead and draw a picture or two while you’re at it.
• Have fun!

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DIY Christmas Marshmallows

If you’re looking for a simple, sweet craft to do around Christmas–here it is. All you need are marshmallows, icing, and sprinkles. There really is no right or wrong way to go about it, but here are a few tips:

• The smaller the icing nozzle is, the more precise your icing drawing can be.
• If you’re working with large marshmallows, they float better in hot coco when cut in half.
• Get creative with the sprinkles. See what other Christmas scenes you can dream up.

Or take your newly acquired marshmallow decorating skills and make some very festive s’mores.

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The Bread Cone DIY

Ladies and Gents, I give you the bread cone. This rolled up carb loaded goodness is perfectly crafted with your Thanksgiving feast in mind. You can use it as a cornucopia of leftovers or as a creative way of shoveling food into your mouth.

You’ll need:

• pre-made seamless pizza dough
• around 10 cone shaped paper cups
• aluminum foil
• an egg
• and a few pinches of salt

First, preheat your oven to 400°F. Then wrap each cone shaped cup in aluminum foil. Be sure every bit of it is covered (it’ll be going into the oven later).

Roll out the pizza dough and cut it into strips lengthwise. Then lightly grease a cookie sheet and the outside foil of each cup.

Carefully wrap the dough around the foil wrapped cups. Start at the pointy end and work your way down. Coat the dough in a light egg wash and sprinkle with a dash of salt.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Now you’re ready to chow down. Have fun!

DIY Pumpkin Pie Bites

Get ready for the simplest and tiniest pumpkin pie recipe you ever did see. Not only is it quick, but you get the perfect ratio of pastry crust to pumpkin filling in each bite.

You’ll need:

• pre-made seamless pastry dough sheets
• a mini cupcake tray
• 1 cup of pure canned pumpkin
• 8 oz of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice extract
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• and a can of whipped cream

First, roll out your pastry dough on a flat surface. Use a shot glass to stamp out each individual pie crust.

Grease the pan and place each circle of dough into the mini cupcake tray.

Use a mixer (or a blender if you must) and combine the following: 1 cup of pure pumpkin, 2 eggs, 8 oz of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice extract, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Spoon out the mixture into each of the pie crusts. Be careful not to over fill. The pumpkin filling with rise with cooking.

Bake at the sheet at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Let the mini pies cool and then serve them up with a dollop of whipped cream.

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DIY Sugar Skulls

Sugar Skulls, or calaveras in Spanish, are typically made of sugar paste or clay to celebrate Día de Muertos. The traditional Mexican holiday is one of remembrance for friends and loved ones who’ve passed. Made as offerings, these little artistic beauties have captured the hearts of many. Just in time to celebrate, I came up with a spooky craft in honor of the colorful sugar skulls.

You’ll need a skull cookie cutter, plenty of polymer clay, and access to an oven.

• First, cut out the silhouette of the skull with the cookie cutter.
• Then add in facial features in all black.
• With tiny balls of various colors, create patterns around the facial features.
• Once your design is complete, preheat the oven to 275 degrees and cook your creations for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on their thickness.

Use your imagination to take your skulls to the next level. Turn them into a garland, use them to decorate a wreath, or string them onto a necklace.

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Tips for Line Drying Clothes

Hanging clothes to dry is an age-old practice. Plus, who doesn’t want to save money and energy? Line drying is gentle on your clothes and linens, increasing their life span. Here are a few tips to help:

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