Hang out the Red, White, and Sparkly

In The Studio

Jokes about appliance holidays aside, today is Veterans Day–the day we are not-so-gently nudged to remember that freedom is not free and that we owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to our military members, past and present, for their service to our country.

Thank you.

Over on the Helmar blog, today, I have my crafty send-up to patriotism in the form of my Starred and Spangled Banner:

jvanderbeek_helmar_veteransday_starred_spangled_banner

Head over to the Helmar Design Team blog and see how I made it (and how you can easily make one, too). For those of you who have the day off (I do not), enjoy the midweek break.

Helmar Share: Veterans Day Shadowbox

In The Studio

I’ve got my second project up over at the Helmar blog today getting creative with another one of their fabulous adhesives. This time around I’m highlighting ZapDots: 3D Double-Sided Adhesives that come in different sizes as well as in black, white, and clear. I took one look at the black ZapDots and knew they’d be just perfect for creating shadowboxes!

Some behind-the-scenes shots of the shadowbox process.

Some behind-the-scenes shots of the shadowbox process.

This shadowbox is in honor of my friend, Lyssa’s, military service. With Veterans Day/Remembrance Day just next week, it’s a quick project you can put together to honor a current or former service member. Click over to see how it came together: Shadow Box of Service

AlcoHOLidays | Veterans Day | Alliance

Sips

Alliance Cocktail for Veterans Day

Veterans Day began life as Armistice Day, commemorating the cease-fire (aka an armistice) that halted actual fighting on November 11, 1918, even though the end of World War I wasn’t until the Treaty of Versailles was signed the following June.

WWI, also known as The Great War, was thought of as “the war to end all wars.”

How optimistic.

Never underestimate man’s ability to fight about anything and everything.

At any rate, after WWII and Korea, veterans service organizations headed the requests to change the name to include soldiers of the later conflicts. In 1954 President Eisenhower made it so.

The idea behind Veterans Day was that it was a day to thank those who’ve served our country and “dedicated to the cause of world peace” (via Dept of Veterans Affairs) Banks, the Postal Service, and government offices close, most schools, too, and many communities throw parades in honor of our servicemen and women.

So make sure to thank your nearest Veteran this coming Sunday, and raise a glass in honor of those who fought and gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy today.

The Alliance

3/4 oz Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz Cognac
3/4 oz London Dry Gin

Combine liquors over ice in a mixing glass and stir until everyone is shaking hands. Strain into a rocks or cocktail glass with 3 ice cubes inside.

As with other all-alcohol cocktails, we stir this one so that the drink reserves a silky feeling on the tongue without diluting it overmuch. In The Alliance, the Cognac greets you nice enough, the rye pushes its way in a bit, and the gin’s botanicals bring up the rear. Purists might cry havoc at the combination of 3 such strong flavors, but war makes strange bedfellows, and these 3 are making the best of it.

Cheers… and thank you.