homemade(lovely)

Weekend Getaway

2012-03-08T12:42:00.002-08:00

Last weekend we were able to join some friends at a condo in Tahoe for several days of playing in the snow and relaxing.

The weather was beautiful. They got some much needed snow the first two days we were there and then we had amazingly clear days which turned quite warm. We went snowshoeing, walked around, played a lot of cars with the kiddos and Audrey got to try out sledding for the first time.

She loved it! She would have barely stopped at the bottom of each run before she was yelling "again, again, again."

It was a great way to spend a long weekend.

Breaking the Silence

2012-02-29T07:01:00.001-08:00

It has been awfully quiet around here lately, so I thought I'd check in to say hi. Most of the silence can be blamed on this little girl.

A little over a week ago she came down with an awful stomach bug that completely wiped her out. And between cleaning up puke, doing load after load of laundry, or rocking her I didn't seem to find time to get on the computer.

Luckily, she started to perk up on Saturday and we decided that after a week we had to get out of the house. A trip to the country to visit her grandparents seemed like the perfect escape. We weren't disappointed; the fresh air, good company, and beautiful almond blossoms did the trick.

Today we are packing up and heading off for a long weekend in the snow, so I'll be back next week. Have a great week!

I'll Be at Houzz

2012-02-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I'm awful. Each time I turn on the computer to do, well, anything I end up here, at houzz.com, instead. I have unanswered emails, the taxes are sitting ready for me to do (and you know how I love doing our taxes), I haven't Facebook-ed, Pinterest-ed, or even read a blog in days. It is kind of becoming a problem.

But as we are trying to plan/design our new house (yay!) it is just so fun to look through these photos of beautiful homes and rooms. So I'm officially calling it research and am not going to feel bad about it anymore! Hope your week has gotten off to a good start, I'll leave you with a few photos that have caught my eye.

Our (future) Mini-Farm

2012-01-31T07:23:00.000-08:00

Remember that super exciting project Audrey and I were working on? Well, while we were up in Oregon over the Christmas holiday we did a little house hunting. We toured a few houses and did a lot of driving around trying to find something that would work for our family, but ultimately we were pretty disappointed in what was available.

That is until we drove by this...

Two acres of beautiful land exactly where we were hoping to find something. It's close to a small little town which I love, but not too far from the city where the high school is and yet still very much in the "country". It's flat, it's irrigated, it's surrounded by pear orchards and vineyards. It's pretty perfect.

So... we bought the farm, so to speak. Technically it isn't ours yet, but it will be soon (fingers crossed everything goes as planned).

We are beyond excited!

All About Felicity

2012-01-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry it was so quiet around here last week. Audrey and I had gone out of town the week prior to work on a new super exciting project, but it lasted a little longer than expected and we didn't get back until just last Friday.

What's the super exciting project you ask? I can't wait to share, but that will have to wait just a little longer because right now it's all about Felicity. Remember awhile back when I mentioned watching way too many episodes while I was sick? Well, I got hooked and am now down to the last three episodes of the series and need to take advantage of a quiet house before I miss my chance to watch them.

Pathetic, I know, but I'm OK with it.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Photo Friday: Playing in the Leaves

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of the extremely mild winter we have had so far is that there are still plenty of leaves to play in. Audrey is taking full advantage.

Here's to a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Seamstress in Training

2012-01-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

Audrey has become fascinated with my sewing machine lately. She has figured out how to use the on/off button, change the stitch length and type, and the speed. She climbs up in the chair and gets to work.

She sits there for a long time stitching back and forth on the same piece of fabric. Each time it gets to the end of the fabric I turn in around and she starts again.

I'm not the kind of mom who hopes to push my kid(s) into any one activity over another, but I have to admit that it makes me happy that she is showing at least a little interest in one of my favorite hobbies. We'll see how long it lasts.

Audrey's New House

2012-01-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

Last week we got insipred to "build" Audrey a new house. So we stopped by a local appliance store and picked up an old refrigerator box. After a little repair work, "remodeling" (cutting out a window and door), and a few coats of paint that we already had lying around she had her new house.

We finished it off by adding a mail slot (pretend there is a slot cut there, for some reason I took the photo right before we cut the slot), some "carpet" (an old blanket), a light hanging from the ceiling, and a few pictures. She specifically requested a "cow", an "eep" (sheep), and "Mama, Dada".

She definitely loves the house and plays in it all the time. And I love it because it keeps her entertained and cost us nothing to make. That's a win-win if you ask me!

Homemade Gifts

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

I'm going to extend the Christmas posts by one more day because I simply can't miss out on sharing the fantastic homemade gifts I got this year.

The first one I was kind of expecting, considering that I had specifically requested it a few months earlier. It was a pair of spool holders from my mom and dad made to hold both the spool and the bobbin. They were exactly what I wanted. And are so beautiful filled with my colorful thread.

The second gift was from my sister-in-law. I was so lucky she picked my name this year for our gift exchange. She took some of my absolute favorite photos and printed them onto blocks of wood. The effect is amazing and I love how they look sitting on top of our bookshelves.

Homemade gifts really are the best. Not only was the item fantastic, but knowing the thought and time that went into the gift makes it that much more special. I would love to give only homemade items. Maybe if I start now I will be ready before Christmas next year!

Our Christmas Vacation

2012-01-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

I realize that Christmas was weeks ago at this point, but our vacation is just now coming to an end. Here are a few pictures of how we spent our time.

Eating pistachios.

Bryce's family has a pistachio orchard and Audrey couldn't get enough of them. I'm pretty sure she ate her weight in nuts while we were there.

Trying out new toys.

Going on walks.

Playing with Play-Doh.

And terrorizing the cat.

All in all it was a great four weeks. I'm a little sad that Bryce had to go back to work today, but we have some fun new projects ahead of us that will make these next (and last) few months of living in California fly by.

Checking In

2012-01-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

I'm still here. It is just that our Christmas vacation has turned into an extra long (and fabulous) break. Bryce has had minimal work commitments for the last several weeks and we are taking advantage of every minute he's home.

We have spent a lot of time with our families and have just enjoyed being together. But I'll be back soon. I have a lot of stuff I want to share, until then though I hope everyone's new year is off to a fabulous start!

Toffee

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

I cannot remember a single Christmas as a child or an adult that we didn't have toffee. It is just part of Christmas. Get a tree, put up lights, hang the stockings, MAKE TOFFEE. But for some reason I never seem to write the recipe down or save it. Each year I have to call my mom and ask for it. This is the "recipe" she emailed me this year.

Each year I get less and less detail in the recipe she sends. My guess is next year she won't even include the line about Hershey bars or chopped nuts.

Luckily, it is a simple recipe and I do remember the rest. Please don't judge the pictures too harshly I made this at night.

Toffee
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
3 teaspoons water
1 cup sugar
Hershey bars
chopped nuts

Spread a layer of chopped nuts, whatever kind you like, on a cookie sheet.

Combine the butter, sugar, and water in a pan. Be warned though, do NOT use a non-stick pan. It won't work. I don't know why, I'm sure science could explain it, I just know it won't work.

Stir the mixture constantly until it turns brown like the color of a paper bag.

Once it is brown pour out the mixture over the chopped nuts in an even layer. I'm sure this goes without saying, but DON'T TOUCH this stuff, it is hot!

Break up a Hershey bar or two or three and drop it on top of the hot toffee every inch or so.

The heat from the toffee will melt the chocolate and you can spread it out with a spatula.

Let the toffee cool and break it into pieces. Enjoy!

Bubble Bath Paint

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what rock I've been hiding under, but I just stumbled upon the blog Meet The Dubiens. It is full of beautiful photos, great kid lunch ideas (bento boxes!), and fun crafts. I've been trying to think of something simple and homemade to give to a few of Audrey's friends when I saw this tutorial for bubble bath paint and knew it would be perfect.

The recipe is simple. A little tear free bubble bath, some cornstarch and food coloring and you have bubble bath paint. You can find the exact recipe here over at Meet The Dubiens.

Audrey tried it out a couple of nights ago and loved it, she didn't want to get out of the bath. And just as Jill said, it didn't stain the bathtub at all. In fact it was probably cleaner after "painting" than before. Now if only I could figure out how to mix a little actual cleaning solution into the recipe I could make my bathroom cleaning woes come to an end.

Audrey's friends are each getting their own four pack of bubble bath paint along with a few paint brushes. A perfect, simple, and homemade Christmas gift for a toddler.

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We Did It! Wednesday at Sew Much Ado

Felt Play Mat

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the felt play mat for Audrey's friend. I'm really happy with how it turned out, but more than anything I'm just so glad to be done. Especially considering I will be giving it to him seven months after his birthday.

The little boy's dad works at Campbell's so I made sure to include it on the play mat.

I also used super stiff fusible interfacing to attach the outside pieces and it worked so much better than trying to glue it.

Just like the other play mat I finished on time I used this tutorial from Cook Clean Craft.

Posted at:

We Did It! Wednesday at Sew Much Ado

Sick Days

2011-12-07T19:50:00.001-08:00

Sorry it has been quiet around here lately. I came down with the flu. Which means I've spent much of the last several days as a slug on the couch watching way too many reruns of Felicity on Netflix, living off of peppermint tea, and whining to Bryce about how I think I am dying.

Thankfully the worst of the flu symptoms have passed, but it seems they have been replaced with strep throat (or some sort of viral throat thing). I'm just glad that so far both Audrey and Bryce seem to be fine. I'm definitely trying to keep my distance.

I'll be back in a few days with something a little more fun, but until then, have a great rest of the week and stay healthy!

Photo Friday: Her Father's Daughter

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Audrey is definitely her father's daughter. I took all of these photos in a span of just 20 seconds and look how similar the expressions on their faces are in each one.

Christmas Decor

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

I just love this time of year; the lights, the decorations, the tree, everything about it. I started doing a little decorating over the weekend. It is very simple, cost me next to nothing, and most importantly Audrey-safe. Here's a little look at what I've done.

Our "mantel".

The Luke printable is from Betty Crocker Wannabe.

Our advent calendar.

I made this for Bryce years ago after he mentioned he wanted an advent calendar. I had seen something similar in a Pottery Barn magazine and figured I could make it myself. What I didn't realize, not having had advent calendars growing up, was that Bryce was talking about the simple, one dollar, cardboard tree advent calendars you can buy at the Dollar Store. He was floored when I showed it to him, and years later I'm really glad we have it.

Advent candles.

This is the first time I've done advent candles, but I think it is such a great tradition and reminder of what the season is really about. If you're interested I came across this great site for daily advent devotionals.

Our tree.

We started with a few ornaments towards the bottom of the tree also, but it was very obvious that that wasn't going to work with a toddler running around. Now we have a half-decorated tree. I think it is slightly pathetic and also a little endearing.

What about you, have you pulled out your decorations yet?

Willow's and Zaydee's Busy Books

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

Before we left for Omaha I finished and shipped a couple more orders for the shop.

Willow's mom asked for a light purple/lilac version of the busy book.

And Zaydee's aunt wanted multicolor with pinks and greens.

I hope they both are excited to see them under the Christmas tree this year!

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Get Your Brag On at Gluesticks

Homemade Toys = Complete Success

2011-11-28T12:11:00.001-08:00

I forgot to mention, but the homemade toys were a complete hit with Audrey. They kept her entertained for a long time, especially the collecting game with the pom poms. My biggest regret was not having another game or two that was new for the return trip.

Definitely give them a try this season if you are doing any sort of traveling. Just be careful with the pom poms, they could be a choking hazard if you aren't looking.

Vacation Recap

2011-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a little recap of our trip last week in picture form. Fair warning, there are a lot of pictures.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is totally and completely amazing! I was blown away by how great it was. We will definitely be making a return trip just for the zoo. Here we are watching the gorillas.

Here is the best photo I got of Audrey and Bryce at the wedding we went to. Major photography fail on my part.

Outside of Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home). The house was nice, but I thought the grounds were beautiful.

This pictures makes me laugh. By the looks of Bryce you would think it was 30 degrees out and down pouring. It was more like 60 with a little bit of mist... I think Oregon might be a bit of an adjustment for him. Oh and in case you're wondering, here we are outside of James Monroe's home.

Bryce's family.

A Must Try Recipe: Mexican Chicken Casserole with Charred Tomato Salsa

2011-11-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

Source: Cooking Light

This recipe for Mexican Chicken Casserole with Charred Tomato Salsa from Cooking Light completely surpassed all of my expectations. I had leftover chicken that I didn't know what to do with so I decided to give this a try. I made the full recipe but split it between two pans with the intention of freezing one of them. It was so good that that never happened, we cooked the second pan full just a few days after the first one.

A quick note about how I made this dish:

*I had made this recipe for Cafe Rio Chicken from Chef In Training earlier in the week and used the leftover chicken for the casserole. It gave the dish such a great flavor, I would highly recommend it.

*Although I haven't tried it, I'm sure you could substitute turkey for the chicken and use up some of the leftovers from Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T12:33:00.001-08:00

We are back home after a long travel day yesterday. We were lucky not to have any delays to our flights, but the day still felt never-ending nonetheless.

Now Bryce is back at work, Audrey is sleeping, and I am enjoying a lazy hour or two on the couch before she wakes up. Later Audrey and I will join some friends for Thanksgiving dinner.

I hope you all have wonderful days full of lots of family, friends and food.

H A P P Y T H A N K S G I V I N G!

Photo Friday: Our Little Monkey

2011-11-18T19:53:00.000-08:00

I've had this great idea for awhile now to give a makeover to our Expedit bookcase. So the other night instead of packing or sewing or doing any one of the many other things I should have been doing I gave it a go.

The "makeover" was a complete and total flop, but on the plus side Audrey thought the empty bookcase pulled away from the wall made for great fun. This might just become my new go-to activity on rainy days.

$2.48 Airplane Toys

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

We have a lot of flying in our near future. First to Nebraska later today, then to Virginia on Sunday, and back home to California next week. Anyone who has traveled with a toddler knows that keeping them entertained and relatively still for that long will be a challenge. So we came up with a few new (also ridiculously inexpensive and homemade) toys to try to keep little miss Audrey (and all the fellow passengers) happy.

A Collecting Game

Audrey is fascinated by putting different items into containers and taking them out again so this is perfect and couldn't be more simple. Bryce put holes in the top of a deli container and melted them a little to get rid of any sharp edges. Add a package of pom poms at $1.99 and that is all there is to it. Audrey can push the poms poms through the holes to her little hearts content.

A Stringing Game

I went down to Home Depot and bought two feet of rope for a whopping total of 49 cents. We put a knot in one end and wrapped the other with electrical tape to make it stiff. Add in the blocks we borrowed from her train set and now she has her own stringing game.

It always amazes me how the simplest little things seem to grab her attention, hopefully these will do the same. I'll let you know how it goes.

And don't worry, I'm not completely disillusioned that these two toys are the answer to toddler-airplane happiness. We also have a bag full of toys, books, and food; along with a few new apps on our phones and a computer full of new-to-her movies. Wish us luck.

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The Saturday Seven Party at Positively Splendid
Made by you Monday at Skip To My Lou
Creative Bloggers Party and Hop at Homemaker on a Dime
Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog

Haily's Busy Book

2011-11-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

November is proving to be an extremely busy month. Audrey and I have already taken one plane trip out of town and we leave for another one next week. In between trips I'm busily working on getting all of the shop orders finished and mailed. Before we left last week I packaged and shipped Haily's Busy Book. Her mom asked for a pink version so I used many of the same fabrics I used on Audrey's.

I just love the look of the books all packaged and ready to ship.

I have two more books to finish before we leave town again so things may be a little quiet around here for the next few weeks.

Also, I will only be able to make a few more books with a guaranteed Christmas delivery. I would love for you all to get the first chance to purchase one so if you are interested in buying a Busy Book send me an email and I can put up a special listing just for you.

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Saturday Seven Party at Positively Splendid
Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog

A Must Try Recipe: Pork Shoulder Ragu from Dinner: A Love Story

2011-10-31T06:43:00.000-07:00

Source: Dinner: A Love Story

I found this recipe for Pork Shoulder Ragu over at Dinner: A Love Story and it was a no brainer. I've had a pork shoulder in the freezer for awhile and this just sounded delicious, I had to make it. Luckily, I was not disappointed. It was ridiculously easy, melt in your mouth tender and absolutely delicious. You should definitely give this a try.

A few notes about how I made the dish:

* I followed the recipe up until the point when you are supposed to put it in the oven, instead I dumped the whole mess into the Crockpot, turned it on low and let it cook for almost 8 hours. It worked like a charm.

* We didn't have papperdelle pasta so I used fettuccine which was good, but I might have preferred a penne or rigatoni instead. Also I would make sure to cook the sauce and pasta together a bit before serving.

Photo Friday: Crazy Hair

2011-10-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

People laugh when I tell them that Audrey often wakes up from a nap with her hair sticking up, or out, or otherwise all over, but it is completely true.

She definitely has some crazy hair. It starts out stick straight, but throughout the day gets increasingly more curly and generally out of control. Maybe at some point we will have to consider a haircut, or hairstyle, or a bucket of gel, I'm not sure, but something that will tame it, until then though, she will keep on rocking the crazy hair.

Happy weekend all.

Eleanor's Rainbow Busy Book

2011-10-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

The Shop's first official order was shipped out yesterday. This book is going to a little girl named Eleanor for her first birthday. Super cute name, right? Her aunt ordered it for her and asked for a rainbow of colors with graphic prints and a bit of a vintage vibe.

I hope she likes it as much as I do because I fell in the love with the colors and fabrics while making the book. I'll admit, I might even be a little jealous that this isn't Audrey's book.

It was pretty fun to get to package the book up and ship it off. The first order just seems a bit special.

Oh, and if you're wondering why the shop is currently empty, it's because I'm up to my ears in orders right now. As soon as I get this batch of books finished and shipped I will add more listings. I'm so thankful for all the support and enthusiasm I've gotten about selling the books. When I listed the first one I didn't know what would come of it, but to have all the listings sell out in just a couple weeks time blew me away. So thanks!

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

How was your weekend? Good, I hope. Ours was mostly spent being lazy, napping, watching Toy Story 3, and blowing our noses... a lot. That's right, Audrey was a sweetheart and shared her cold with me. And although I do remember telling Bryce at one point that I was seriously dying, the worst seems to have passed and we were able to pull ourselves together enough to go to the pumpkin patch on Sunday with my in-laws.

I'm pretty sure that once your kid can walk the pumpkin patch is some sort of requirement, you know, something you are supposed to do. Similar to a visit from the Tooth Fairy when a tooth falls out, an Easter basket from the Easter Bunny, and sitting on Santa's lap (I'm still trying to gear up for that one, something about the long mall lines and the somewhat creepy Santa freak me out a little). I'm also fairly certain Audrey won't remember this trip to the pumpkin patch, but she did have fun, so in my opinion it was totally worth it.

Can you guess what was the best part about the pumpkin patch? I'll give you a hint, it had nothing to do with pumpkins. It was the animals. There was any type of farm animal you could want and much to Audrey's delight there was a whole pen with baby goats and a sheep that you could pet and run around with. She was absolutely beside herself. Please ignore the blurry pictures, she was moving fast!

Aww, look at that sweaty little head... poor girl, she gets it from her dad.

Of course there were also pumpkins. We found a whole "patch" with pumpkins just Audrey's size.
Now if I can be a bit cynical for a moment... when did pumpkin patches stop being actual fields of pumpkins? This is what I remember from being a kid, you go to a farm, walk a really long way out to a super muddy field full of pumpkins, find the one you want, cut it off the vine and carry it all the way back to the car and if you couldn't carry it you couldn't have it. Isn't that how a pumpkin patch is supposed to work? I'm not the grinch or anything, but when did everything become so commercial. To me the best part is that this farm doesn't even grow pumpkins, they have them shipped in just like a grocery store does. We are going to have a whole generation of kids that think pumpkins magically appear on beautifully mowed lawns each October. When Audrey is old enough to actually remember going to the pumpkin patch you better believe we are finding one where the pumpkins are still on the vine. Ok, enough said, cynicism over.

I asked my mother-in-law to take a picture of Audrey and me to prove I was there. Twelves picture later and I'm still not sure we got a keeper. I'll let you be the judge.

All in all it was a great day at the pumpkin patch!

Photo Friday: A Bit Under The Weather

2011-10-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

We have been doing a little more of this than usual lately.

Audrey has been a bit puny the last few days.

Meaning her normal energy level of 15 on a 1 to 10 scale is only about a 9 now.

I feel bad she is sick, but I can't lie, I love all the extra snuggling that comes with it.

Happy weekend (and stay healthy)!

Dilly Beans - My Canning Success Story

2011-10-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to report that my canning experiment was a complete success! I made Dilly Beans, something I've never had before, but couldn't resist because one, I had a ton of beans and didn't know what I was going to do with them and two, because I'm a sucker for a pickled vegetable. I used this recipe from food.com.

After carefully inspecting the jar to make sure there wasn't any mold or funny business going on, we opened the first jar last week when we had company over for dinner. The beans were absolutely delicious. We polished off the whole jar in just one evening. These dilly beans were perfectly crispy and spicy. Surprisingly even the two little kiddos weren't turned off by the spice and ate a few too.

At this point my only regret is that there are just six jars left. I feel like we can only pop one of these open on a special occasion. I will definitely be making a lot more next year.

A Bit of Crafty Chaos

2011-10-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

I've been busily working on a few orders for the shop these last couple of days and am constantly reminded each time I walk into my sewing room that I need to do a little picking up. The whole room is one big mess. I have piles and projects everywhere.

Scraps from a pink busy book that is in the works.

A sneak peek at a rainbow busy book... can I just tell you how in love I am with these fabrics?

These knits are ready and waiting to be made into dresses.

And of course these are all lined up on the window sill just waiting to be sewn onto the playmat for Audrey's little buddy. They are constantly mocking me. Oh my gosh, I have to finish that playmat.

Even despite the chaos isn't there just something so beautiful about fabric. I could stare at it all day!

Chicken Parmesan

2011-10-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I am kind of obsessed with the tomato sauce I made this year. I'm wishing I had had even more tomatoes to have been able to make more sauce because at the rate I'm using it my supply isn't going to last long. A couple of weeks ago I used the tomato sauce to make Chicken Parmesan (or at least what I'm calling Chicken Parmesan, I have no idea how authentic it is). Obviously you could also use store bought tomato sauce too and I'm sure it would turn out great. This was a VERY last minute idea and came together really quickly and easily, just my kind of weeknight dinner. I will definitely be making it again.

Chicken Parmesan
2 chicken breasts
2 eggs, lightly beaten in a shallow dish
1 cup breadcrumbs, in a shallow dish
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Pound two chicken breasts to an even thickness. I always do this between two pieces of plastic wrap so chicken juices don't splatter everywhere.

In a large oven-safe pan heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken first into the beaten egg and shake off excess and then into the breadcrumbs and shake of excess. Place the chicken in the heated pan. Cook chicken for two minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken and cover each piece in cheese.

Place in oven until the cheese is slightly golden and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Photo Friday

2011-10-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Audrey is definitely a country girl at heart. This makes me even more excited to move to the country and start a mini-farm!

Brown Butter Pound Cake

2011-10-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

source

You absolutely, positively MUST make this recipe for Brown Butter Pound Cake from Gourmet. We topped it with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce and it was out of this world good.

Our New Sled - A Very Manly DIY

2011-10-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

I would like to think that most of the projects I put on here are pretty projects, you know, easy on the eyes. Well, this isn't one of those. It is still awesome and completely functional, but not going to win any beauty awards. We spent a few hours over the weekend working on a sled to pull Audrey in the snow.

My parents gave us an old pair of cross country skis and we mounted a big tub onto them for Audrey to sit in. Audrey appointed herself project supervisor and double checked most of her dad's work.

Oh my goodness, this picture makes me realize how desperately we need to clean our garage.

The sled turned out great. It will be so nice to be able to pull Audrey behind us while snowshoeing this winter. We took advantage of the wet grass after a really rainy day and gave it a test run. Audrey seemed to enjoy it.

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Frugalicious Fridays at Finding Fabulous

Fall is Here!

2011-10-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

I know it has technically been Fall for a few weeks now, but it really hadn't felt like it until just this past week. I love this time of year and am soaking up all it has to offer.

Of course I love the weather and the changing of the leaves, but I'm also enjoying some of my favorite smaller fall traditions.

Like pulling my slippers out from their summer hibernation.

I know, I know, they are some seriously ugly slippers. However, they are super comfy and there isn't anything better than slipping cold feet into soft, warm slippers.

Also, wearing this sweatshirt way more often than should ever be allowed.

I've had it since my freshman year in college (Go Beavs!!) and love it. In fact I don't feel like I can wear it out into public anymore because both sleeves are now riddled with holes, but it is still my go-to sweatshirt around the house. (p.s. Can we just talk for a minute about how cute Audrey is? We were enjoying a lazy morning on the couch, some Toy Story might have been involved.)

And of course Fall is nothing without apple cider.

I know I say that I like to do everything homemade, but this stuff, straight from the packet, without any homemade loved add to it, just a little bit of hot water, well, it is absolutely delicious! So this time, I'm just not going to mess with a good thing.

What are your favorite smaller traditions about the season?

Big News!!

2011-10-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

I hope you don't mind, but I need to brag a little bit. Last week was rather quiet around here and while I mentioned we went to visit my parents I didn't exactly say why.


My grandma, Bryce, Audrey, and my mom

Obviously we don't need a reason to visit, but this time we happened to have one. Bryce had a job interview.

A really really BIG job interview.

As in a job interview for the job he has been working for for basically his whole life, and really I'm not exaggerating. I'll give you a hint... he wears scrubs to work each day and people call him Doctor.

So he cleaned himself up (i.e. shaved off the horrible beard), put on his suit and did his best to wow the pants off of the employer.

Apparently he did a good job because on Friday we found out he got the job. We are moving to Oregon in July!!

I am so excited for what this means for us, but more than anything I'm just really proud of him. He has worked so hard for so long and completely deserves this.

Hand-Me-Down Dresses

2011-10-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

My mom has been doing some cleaning out lately and came across four dresses that my grandma had saved from when she was little. She couldn't have found them at a better time because they are just the right size for Audrey right now.

All four of them are adorable, unfortunately I only got photos of Audrey in one of them. And I am absolutely amazed that this is what little girls wore on a daily basis. I would never have the patience to do all the ironing that these must have required.

I was also amazed at the shape these dresses were in. Decades after being used for two girls they still looked great.

There is just something so great about clothes like these that have a story and history to them. I am pretty certain that my grandma didn't sew these for my mom or her sister, but it does inspire me to continue to make Audrey some special pieces that can be passed down because I know that the sweats and t-shirts she wears normally sure aren't going to stand the test of time.

What about you... do your kids wear clothes that have been used by multiple generations?

One Month To Win It Auditions

2011-10-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

We've been up at my parents' house this week. We are having a great time and being completely spoiled.

For now I'm just popping in to remind you about this:

One Month To Win It has been completely redesigned and is currently holding auditions for season 6. And check out the prizes... hello, a $100 gift card to Target, Anthropologie, or Home Depot for first place. Yes, please! So head over now and link up your audition project. It really is a lot of fun!

Hope you are all having a great week.

Photo Friday

2011-09-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

Audrey is not the kind of kid that will just fall asleep anywhere. She sleeps in her crib and occasionally the car and that.is.it. I can't tell you the last time she fell asleep somewhere else. Which is why this picture completely cracks me up.

A few weeks ago we visited the children's museum that just opened here. Apparently Audrey played so hard she needed a little nap. She climbed into the chair, laid back, and closed her eyes. This lasted about 15 seconds and then she was up and going again.

I'm pretty sure this is what people would call a power nap.

Have a great weekend everyone, maybe you can even squeeze in a power nap or two!

Crossing Off My To-Do List

2011-09-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or sometimes do you have a project that you know you have to do, but no motivation to do it? Well I've got one of those. Remember the felt play mat I made for the third week of One Month To Win It? Months ago. Back in May. That sweet play mat went to one of Audrey's pals for his first birthday. He and his parents loved it. Really it was quite the hit.

Problem is Audrey has TWO little pals, not just one, and pal number two turned a year old just a week after pal number one and I still owe pal number two his play mat. Four months after his birthday! I'm awful.

I don't know what my problem is. I've had it started for months, but just couldn't find the motivation to work on it. Well, with new resolve I've told myself I can't do any other projects until I finish the darn thing.

Now that I'm working on it again I am actually enjoying it. Funny how sometimes we make things seem so much worse than they really are.

Here's to crossing something of your to-do list today!

The Shop

2011-09-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce that homemade(lovely) The Shop is now open.

I have had such a great response to Audrey's Busy Book that I will be selling custom busy books made to order. As these are custom I can only list a few at a time so be sure to get your order in quickly if you want one.

A couple of other items are also in the works to be added to The Shop in the coming weeks, so be sure to check back.

Click on over and check out all the details.

Audrey's New Jumper

2011-09-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

I was just looking back through previous posts and realized I haven't put a sewing project up in well over a month. Geez, no wonder I felt rusty while I was sewing Audrey's new jumper.

I had forgotten how much I enjoy sewing little dresses like this. It is such a fun project and goes fairly quickly, even despite the fact that I made more mistakes than I can count and actually thought I broke my machine at one point.

Those little hearts on the sides are pockets, so she has a place to tuck all of the treasures she finds.

She tested the jumper out at the park yesterday afternoon and it passed with flying colors, although at this point there isn't much that would slow this little girl down. She is definitely a toddler now.

And for those of you who have kiddos or have worked with them you know that cooperation isn't always the name of the game. This is where Audrey wanted to play for the first ten minutes we were at the playground. I had to coax her out with crackers in order to get a few pictures that actually showed the dress.

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Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-09-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

I feel like for the sake of honesty I need to start this post with a couple of disclaimers. First, I can't take any credit for this recipe, it came from a book called Cupcakes and Other Goodies published in 2005. And secondly, I can't really tell you how good these are because I don't like chocolate, so I don't eat them. However, all of my chocolate-loving amigos tell me that they are amazing and often request that I make them.

What I can tell you though is that the recipe is a simple one. My only words of advice are to really grease your muffin tins if you aren't going to use liners. I always have a hard time getting the cupcakes out in one piece. Use a double-boiler to make the glaze and leave it on low heat so it doesn't harden too quickly. Also, if you think you have ruined the glaze after just the first step of cocoa, butter, and water, don't worry, I always do too, just keep going. And I have never put my cupcakes in the refrigerator to set, they seem to do just fine sitting on the counter.

Here is the recipe as it is written in the book, the photos are mine.

Rich Chocolate Mini-Cakes
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon each baking soda and salt
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 24 small muffin cups.

2. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.

Add water, oil, and vanilla; stir until batter is blended. (Batter will be thin.) Spoon into prepared cups, filling 2/3 full.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Cool in pans on wire racks 3 minutes; invert onto racks. Cool completely.

3. Prepare Chocolate Glaze; dip rounded portion into glaze. Place on wax paper-covered tray; refrigerate 10 minutes to set glaze.

Chocolate Glaze: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over low heat; add 2 tablespoon cocoa and 2 tablespoons water. Cook and stir until smooth and slightly thickened; do not boil. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Blend in 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat with wire whisk until smooth and slightly thickened.

Enjoy!

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Photo Friday

2011-09-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

Audrey discovered that the drip system makes the perfect drinking fountain after a long morning of playing in the dirt.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Audrey's Room

2011-09-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

We painted Audrey's room the day after we found out she was a she. The curtains were made and hung just two days later. And we moved in a dresser, nightstand, and bookshelf repainted with a fresh coat of white. (Really all the credit for the painted walls, furniture, and the curtains has to go to my mom, I basically just sat and watched her work.)

Other than adding the crib and an amazing mobile my sister made a few months later that is how her room stayed. Painted walls, cute curtains, a mobile and white furniture. There wasn't a single thing on the wall for almost the entire first year of her life. Honestly, I don't feel too bad for her, it isn't like she noticed, but I sat in that room for hours a day, it seems like I would have put something up for me to look at.

Several months ago I found these alphabet printables and then I made the footprint shadowbox and all the sudden it felt like her room was coming together after all. My favorite part of the whole room is how many items hold special meaning, it definitely is not a cookie cutter room.

Here's a little tour:

The 60th anniversary poster from the ice cream shop owned by Bryce's family.

Repainted $5 dresser
and these amazing (and free!) alphabet printables.

Repainted bookshelf that my dad made for my sister the year I was born,
footprint shadowbox,
an embroidery from Bryce's great-grandma,
an embroidery done by Bryce's dad when he was a kid,
and a beautiful butterfly print Audrey received on her first birthday from my sister.

My sister made this mobile and gave it to me at my baby shower, I think it is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

Audrey's giraffe quilt made by my mom, she surprised me with it at my baby shower.

Curious what Audrey was doing the whole time I was taking pictures?

She was pulling every single Kleenex out of the box. She had no interest in putting them back in either, she thought the box made a much better home for her alphabet magnets and the pile of Kleenex is now in a heap on the bathroom counter.

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Mirror Makeover and a Sneak Peek

2011-09-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Several months ago when my parents came to visit my mom brought me this mirror.

Apparently some time before that I had said I wanted it, I actually don't remember that part, but I was more than happy to take it anyway. I needed a mirror for Audrey's room and this was just the right size. I really liked the detailing, but the color had to be changed. After a few coats of Sicilian Sky leftover from our living room project this is what it looks like now.

I'm pretty sure that months ago I said I would share pictures of Audrey's room. This is just a little preview, come back tomorrow to see the rest of the room.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

2011-09-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

I love pickles. I always have. Remember those big jars of full of pickles that they used to sell at concession stands or the movie theater? Yeah, I was the kid who bought those. I remember telling my husband this years ago and he laughed. Mostly because he had never heard of a movie theater selling pickles, but also because he didn't know anyone ever chose pickles over chocolate.

When I heard about making your own pickles in the refrigerator I knew I had to try it. I'm so glad I did. These were perfectly crunchy with a fantastic flavor. Ten times better than any pickle ever sold at a concession stand.

Here's how I made them:

Refrigerator Dill Pickles
clean quart jar
3 kirby cucumbers
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon dill seed

In a saucepan combine vinegar, water, salt and sugar and bring to a boil. While waiting for the liquid to boil wash the cucumbers, slice both end off and cut into wedges. Add the garlic, onion, and dill seed to the jar.

Pack the cucumber spears into the jar.

Once the brine comes to a boil slowly pour it over the cucumbers. Place the lid back on and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator for at least two days before eating. The longer you wait to eat them the more pickle-y and less cucumber-y they get.

And if your house is anything like mine you won't have to worry about them going bad because they will be quickly eaten, but if not they should keep up to a month in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

A little side note: The jar may seal during the cooling process, mine did, but according to the USDA this doesn't make your pickles shelf stable.

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Photo Friday

2011-09-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today.

One of the best days of my life.

Homemade Tomato Sauce using Fresh Tomatoes

2011-09-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

My in-laws planted a couple of tomato plants this year that were labeled as a small cherry variety. Unfortunately for them, luckily for me, the plants were mislabeled and produced a larger fruit that looks like a mix between a roma and pear tomato. The worst part, for my in-laws, about this little mix-up is that the tomatoes aren't very good for eating raw. However, they are perfect for making homemade tomato sauce.

If you've never had it, homemade tomato sauce using freshly picked tomatoes right out of your own garden, or your in-laws' garden in my case, cannot be beat. The flavor is so rich and fresh. I make huge batches and freeze them to use throughout the rest of the year.

This is kind of a non-recipe recipe. There really aren't any measurements to give because it all depends on how many tomatoes you have and how big of batch you want to make. But trust me, you really can't mess this up. Just add the amount you think is right.

Here is what I did to make a batch of sauce that completely filled my large dutch oven:

Tomato Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
a huge bunch of fresh basil, chopped
fresh tomatoes
salt and pepper

Start by peeling the tomatoes. Peeling the tomatoes is a cinch, simply bring a large pot of water to a boil, place the tomatoes in the water for 30-60 seconds until you can see the skin starting to bubble up. Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and submerge in an ice bath. Then you should be able to just pop the skins off.

In small batches puree, in a blender or food processor, 3/4 of the tomatoes. With the other 1/4 of the tomatoes simply squish them between your fingers or roughly chop them. I should note that I don't worry about the seeds in the tomatoes and don't bother taking them out, in the final sauce they aren't even noticeable. If you like, you could always seed them first.

In a large dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onion for 5 minutes or until soft, season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the basil.

Add the pureed tomato and the crushed tomato until the pot is full. Season with salt and pepper. At this point the sauce looks strangely pink and frothy, but don't worry about either, the color will turn a rich red and the frothiness goes away.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce has thickened to where you like it. Check the seasonings. I let mine reduce by about half. This takes a bit of patience as this pot simmered for almost 3.5 hours. But in the end you get the most beautiful, thick, and rich tomato sauce to use all year long.

Enjoy!

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Happy Birthday!

2011-09-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

I know I said I would have a new recipe to share but it will have to wait until tomorrow because today is all about this guy.

Happy Birthday Bryce!

We love you millions!

Zephyr Point

2011-09-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

Audrey and I were lucky enough to be able to go to our church's fall retreat at Zephyr Point in South Lake Tahoe this past weekend.
Here are a few pictures from our time there.

It was so beautiful and such a great trip... exactly the kind of weekend I was hoping for.

Back tomorrow with another recipe. I know my recent posts have been very food heavy, but my time lately has been overwhelmingly spent in the kitchen and not at the sewing machine. I blame all of the amazing fresh fruits and vegetables during this time of year that I just can't ignore. I'll be back to the sewing room soon though, I already have a few projects planned.

Hummus

2011-09-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

Around here we love hummus. I think it is just delicious and such an easy go to appetizer or snack if people come over, plus it's healthy. I'm not sure why I waited so long, but last week I finally tried making my own. I definitely won't be buying it from the store anymore, it was fantastic, not to mention ridiculously easy.

I think the best part about this recipe, other than the ease, is that it is a jumping off point to add any flavor you want. It would be delicious to roast the garlic first, make things spicy with a little jalapeño, finish with a drizzle of olive oil, really you could do anything.

Hummus
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can low-sodium garbanzo beans, reserve liquid
juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Slowly add liquid from garbanzo beans until you reach desired consistency (I used about 3/4 of the liquid). Enjoy!

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Photo Friday

2011-09-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Fresh vegetables from a friend's garden. Beautiful.

The tomatoes are my favorite part of the photo, not just because they are pretty, but because after Audrey saw that her dad and I were picking the beans and putting them into the box she started picking the tomatoes and adding them to the box too. She is definitely our little helper.

Enjoy your weekend!

Channeling My Inner Laura

2011-09-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Laura Ingalls Wilder that is. You know, from Little House on The Prairie. Oh, how I LOVED those books. I loved the detailed accounts of daily life on the Prairie, or in the Big Woods, or at Plum Creek or anywhere else the Ingalls family happened to be. Undoubtedly after reading one of the books I always longed to be a pioneer girl, living just like Laura. Everything about their lives was so fascinating to me. And thinking about it, a lot of my ideas about the role of a housewife and the value of homemade came from these books.

Today I am going to try to remember everything the Little House books taught me because yesterday I came home from the store with this.

That's right, I'm canning. A very Laura, or probably more accurately, a very Ma thing to do. I've never done it before and well, I really don't want to mess it up. Not only would I feel like I'm wasting perfectly good vegetables, but the whole botulism thing sounds pretty serious.

Hopefully my Little House schooling has prepared me well. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Jamie Oliver is My Hero

2011-09-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

source

Seriously. I have become slightly obsessed with the guy. More recently people have probably heard about him because of his "Food Revolution" and while I think he is doing a good thing, it is my DVR'd reruns of his show "Jamie at Home" that aired several years ago that have me swooning.

In a nutshell the show follows Jaime around his house as he creates meals using ingredients grown in his own country garden. The recipes look simple and delicious and have me so excited about cooking. I seriously love everything about the show. He even has a cookbook with the recipes from the show. Needless to say, I know one thing that will be on my Christmas list this year. And while everything looks great it was his technique on cooking white rice that completely won me over.

source

I have never had luck cooking rice. No matter what I did the rice would be sticky or gummy or just plain bad. Which is so disappointing considering how much I love eating the stuff. When I saw my new bff's method I figured it wouldn't hurt to try it. OH MY GOSH - the guy is a genius. It was perfect. Here's the link to his website and his recipe for cooking rice.

You should definitely check the show out. Fair warning though, it's addictive.

Photo Friday

2011-09-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

This absolutely melts my heart. She is definitely a daddy's girl.
Enjoy the long weekend!

I'm Back

2011-09-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

August flew by. I'm having a hard time believing that it is already September. That means that Miss A is already 15 months old, the hubs is less than a year from being finished with his current job, and we are less than a year from moving, and fall, the best season of the year, is right around the corner. I have high hopes for September.

But before I completely dismiss August, here are a few highlights from the last several weeks.

We started by setting off on a two week road trip with plans to camp along the way. Interestingly enough no one said anything to us before we left, but when we got back no one was shy in telling us that they thought we were completely crazy for even attempting a trip like this with a little munchkin. As it turns out, Audrey is the definition of "happy camper" and the trip couldn't have gone any better or been any more fun.

I told myself I wouldn't put any naked pictures of her on here, but I couldn't help myself.

After we spent the first week camping in Southern Oregon we made our way further north, visited with family, built a fence, attended a best friend's baby shower and then headed to my parent's cabin in Central Oregon.

Hosmer Lake, Oregon

The rest of August was spent back at home enjoying some downtime.

Absolutely her favorite spot in our backyard. She will stand there and pick tomatoes until there aren't any left. The first three feet of our plant is now completely bare.

I hope everyone else had as wonderful and relaxing of an August as we did.

Gone Fishing...

2011-07-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, not really, but I am going to take a little vacation from the blog for the next month or so. We have a lot of plans for the month of August, including a two week road trip that we leave for in just a few days. I may check in here and there, but mostly I'll be enjoying the company of my two favorite people and soaking in the end of summer. Hope everyone has a great August and I'll see you in September with some fun new stuff.

Photo Friday

2011-07-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

We're at my parent's house this weekend and have been looking through old pictures. I don't know about you, but I love to do this. So for today I leave you with a favorite picture of my grandpa and me.

Happy weekend!

Easy Made Invitations

2011-07-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Have you visited Easy Made Invitations? It is a site right up my alley. Homemade, beautiful invites for all occasions. Lindsay, the very talented lady behind the site, is here today to share how she does it. If you haven't, head over to her site and check her out. It is full of creative new ideas for fun invitations.

Hi! I'm Lindsay...I'm a mom, a wife and I have a passion for making homemade invitations! I love the design and creativity that goes into making a great invitation!
Homemade invitations add a practical, personal and fun touch to any occasion! And, contrary to belief, they're easy! All your guests are sure to love receiving a fantastic homemade invitation when they're invited to your party, shower or any celebration!

I just finished making this fun, trendy invitation for a baby shower. It could also double as a bridal shower invitation or a birthday invitation just by changing the text.

I was inspired to make this invitation just by finding this great ribbon. I loved the colors! The lime green and black are super trendy and look great together!

Finding coordinating paper was the easy part! I just picked the same colors that were in the ribbon.
I knew that I wanted the ribbon to be the focal point of the invitation, so I made sure that it was used more as a layer rather than just a finishing touch. I also made a smaller text sheet than usual but made a more elegant template for the sheet rather than just a square or rectangle shape.
For the invitation size, I used a standard 8-1/2"x 11" black cardstock and cut it down to a size of 6"x 6" which actually gave me two invitations for every sheet cut. Using this size of invitation will require a larger envelope size and possibly an additional stamp. The standard greeting card envelope is 5-3/4"x 8-3/4", so if you would rather not purchase a larger size of envelope, then make your overall size 5-1/2"x 5-1/2" to keep it square or 5-1/2"x 8-1/2" for a horizontal layout. Or, you could always make your own envelope too!
For the next layer I cut the green paper to a size of 5-3/4"x 5-3/4" to leave a 1/8" reveal of black. I usually use a 1/4" reveal on my invitations, but the black would have been too bold in this situation for a larger reveal.
For the text layout I just used my printshop program to decide how big and what the text looked like. I came up with this template for the text layer by drawing it freehand until I liked it and then I cut it out. I printed a couple different text blocks onto the cardstock and used the template I made to trace around each of the text blocks. Then I cut them out.
To get the black shadow around the text layer, I adhered the white text cardstock to another piece of black cardstock and cut it out leaving a little less than 1/8" of black showing.

The assembly process is easy! Just take a piece of the ribbon and cut it 8" long. Wrap it around the green cardstock and tape it on the back. Using scrapbook mounting squares, attach the green cardstock to the black and then attach the text sheet to the ribbon and green layer.

Your done! What a beautiful invitation! Everyone is definitely going to think that you had these custom made...and you can tell them you did...by you!
-Lindsay
www.easymadeinvitations.com

Thanks Lindsay! The invitation is beautiful.

Doll Tutorial: Part III

2011-07-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Part III of the doll tutorial, yay! The last few steps to a finished doll. Here are part I and part II.

First you'll need to print out the doll pattern. Click on the image and print it out. It should fit on an 8.5"x11" piece of paper. (Please let me know if this doesn't work... it was the best I could come up with as I failed to figure out how to add a pdf into the post.)

Out of the doll fabric cut 2 of the Body and Legs section. Pin them together and sew with a scant 1/4 seam, leave the top open where indicated on the pattern. Cut 4 arms out of the doll fabric, pin two together and sew. Turn both the arms and the body/legs right side out.

Tightly stuff the first 4" of the arms with wool batting.

Turn the head over and tack the arms to the should area. You will have excess fabric to cut off.

Next, stuff the body and legs. Start by tightly stuffing the feet and then place a safety pin across the ankle. Continue stuffing up the leg and place another safety pin across the hip area. Stuff the rest of the body area.

Insert the head piece with the arms attached into the top of the body section. Pin together the shoulders. Stitch the body to the neck right above the string, so it is hidden, using a ladder stitch.

After the neck is stitched closed, stitch the shoulders leaving just an opening at the arms. Add more stuffing through the opening at the arms until the doll is nice and full and fluffy. After the body is completely stuff use the ladder stitch to stitch the armholes closed.

Now bend up the foot and stitch the top to the front of the leg. Don't stitch all the way through the leg.

Stitch across the hips going completely through the leg. And you have a finished doll.

I used this tutorial from Starry Sheep for the hair, but if you do a search for doll hair there are a lot of options.

Hopefully this all makes sense and will be useful. If you make one, send a picture my way; I would love to see your end result.

Doll Tutorial: Part II

2011-07-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

Here we go, part II of the doll tutorial. In case you missed it here is part I. After today the head will be finished, yippee. The head is definitely the most time consuming part of the whole thing.

As a reminder this is what you should have after part I.

Ok, here we go...

Cut a piece of string 24" long and wrap it around the middle of the head twice to create the eye line. Tie it off where the ear would be.

Cut another piece of string 24" and wrap it twice around the head from chin to the top, in front of the shoulder. Tie off the string at the top of the head.

Using a needle and thread tack the points where the strings intersect at the side of the head. Stitch several times to insure they are secure.

After the eye line and head strings are attached pull down the eye line string in the back of the head to the neckline.

Cut a piece of the doll fabric approximately 9"x8". With the maximum stretch being on the 8" side. I don't have a picture of this, but hopefully it will make sense. Fold the fabric in half so it is 9"x4" and sew up the long side creating a tube. Insert the inner head into the tube making sure the seam is going up the back of the head.

Move the head so it is about an inch from the top of the tube. Pull the fabric over the top of the head and stitch in place.

Once the fabric is stitched to the top of the head, pull the fabric down tightly and cut off any excess. Stitch the bottom together below the shoulders, making sure a few stitches go through the shoulders to secure it. Again, this doesn't have to be pretty, it will be covered up.

Cut another piece of string and wrap it twice around the neck. Pull very tightly and tie it off in back. Try to have as few wrinkles in the neck as possible. You can also see in this picture where I marked the spot for the eyes and mouth. They form a triangle and are all about 1" away from each other.

Embroider both the eyes and the mouth going all the way through the dolls head and tying off the thread in back, which will later be covered by hair.

And now you have a completed doll's head, minus the hair. You could also add a little blush to the cheeks to give them a little color.

Next step, the doll's body and attaching it to the head. Stay tuned for part III tomorrow.

Doll Tutorial: Part I

2011-07-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

I've split the doll tutorial up into three parts. It isn't that making one of these dolls is difficult, in fact I thought the process was a lot of fun, but there are a lot of little steps and I want to make sure it is clear. Part I and II will cover how to make the head and part III will be the body and putting the doll together.

Here is what you'll need:
Wool Batting - The wool batting doesn't squish down over time like polyester or cotton; JoAnns only sold it by the yard, I bought 12 inches and had extra.
One thin sock in a color similar to the doll's fabric color
1/4 yd Doll Fabric - Apparently there is something actually called doll fabric, JoAnns didn't have it. I bought a lightweight knit that didn't have a ton of stretch to it. It worked just fine.
Thread to match doll's fabric color
String
Embroidery Floss for Eyes and Mouth
Yarn for Hair
Doll Needles - These are extra long needles that really are necessary. They came in a pack of four and were just a couple of dollars.
Body Pattern - I will include this in part III of the tutorial

Start by taking strips of the wool batting and wrapping it around itself very tightly to form a ball. If yours is anything like mine at first it won't be very round, but don't worry, as you wrap more strips around it will start getting a nice round shape.

Continue wrapping until you have a ball that is between 9 and 10 inches in circumference.

Cut a 10" square of wool batting and tightly wrap it around the ball you formed, holding it tightly at the neck.

Stuff the batting-wrapped head into the sock and tightly tie it off as close to the head as you can.

Tuck the extra batting into the open end of the sock and tie off. This does not need to be nearly as firm as the head.

Tuck the tail of the sock back into itself, pulling the sock to form a little pouch and stitch. This doesn't need to be pretty, it will be hidden inside of the doll.

And this is what your head should look like.

Overwhelmed? I hope not. I know it seems long, but it really is straightforward, there are just a lot of small steps. Tomorrow I'll show you how to finish the head.

Photo Friday

2011-07-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of a mini-vacation. Bryce has three full days off. We are about to head out the door to the Farmer's Market, but first I thought I would share my favorite photo from the week. Who knows, maybe this will become a weekly event around here.

Dinner on Thursday. Audrey absolutely refused to eat unless she was wearing her sunglasses. She is a diva.

Have a great weekend! I'll be back next week with the tutorial for the doll and a guest post from Lindsay, the lovely lady over at Easy Made Invitations. If you haven't already checked out her site you should, her invitations are beautiful.

Audrey's Doll

2011-07-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

I was never big into dolls growing up. If I'm remembering correctly my sister and I each had a Cabbage Patch doll for awhile, but mostly we were more into Legos and playing practical jokes on our little brother than playing with the dolls. Nonetheless, I decided it was time Audrey had a doll of her own, even if she ends up being just as much of a tomboy as her mom.

I made the doll using the Waldorf style and created my own pattern. I'm super happy with how she turned out. I'm still deciding if I want to make her cheeks a little rosy. Thoughts?

Also she obviously needs clothes, but when I sat down to make her something I got completely overwhelmed. It has been so long since I've sewn clothes I feel like I don't even know where to start. It's like riding a bike though, right? I just need to do it.

Clothes or not, Audrey seems to be quite smitten. She already has given her plenty of hugs and kisses.

Please ignore the blurriness, it was the best I could do.

I'll post a tutorial on how I made her soon.

Update: Here is part I, part II, and part III of the tutorial. Don't be scared by the three part tutorial, it is quite simple.

Posted at:

Made By You Mondays at Skip To My Lou
Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog
We Did It! Wednesday at Sew Much Ado

Lemony Chicken Piccata with Prosciutto

2011-07-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

I've often heard people say that everything is better with bacon and let's be honest, it's completely true. In our house we feel similarly about Prosciutto. That's why I couldn't help but add it to one of my all time favorite dishes, Chicken Piccata. It was incredible. I loved the lemony, briny sauce with the combination of the salty Prosciutto. Just thinking about this is making me so glad we have leftovers for tonight.

Lemony Chicken Piccata with Prosciutto

makes 2 very generous portions or you can cut each piece of chicken in half and make 4 more reasonably sized portions

2 chicken breasts

4 slices Prosciutto

1/2 cup flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 heaping tablespoons capers with brine

Butterfly chicken breasts and pound to an even thickness. Place two slices of Prosciutto on one side of each chicken breast. Fold back over and secure with toothpick. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. In a large skillet heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the olive oil and butter begin to sizzle add chicken breast and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken to plate.

Into pan add chicken stock, lemon juice, capers and brine, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up all the brown bits. Check for seasoning.

Return chicken to pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through.

Remove chicken to platter making sure to remove toothpicks. Add remaining tablespoon of butter to pan and whisk until incorporated.

Pour sauce over chicken, serve, and enjoy!

We often use the extra sauce on pasta or mashed potatoes as a side and it is always excellent.

Posted at:

We Did It! Wednesday at Sew Much Ado

Farmhouse Love

2011-07-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

We will be moving next year and although we are still undecided where we will be moving we have dreams of a smaller town, living in the country, having a lot of garden space, and maybe even raising an animal or two. All this has me swooning over the possibility of a farmhouse, mostly traditional with some modern twists. So for today I leave you with this farmhouse eye candy... talk about beautiful!

source

Photo Wall

2011-07-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

I've been slowly giving our dining room a bit of an update and started by creating a photo wall.

Pretend this is beautifully photographed before

picture of a basically blank wall. I definitely thought I took

one, but can't find it for the life of me.

To make the photo wall was pretty simple. I bought a bunch of frames in different sizes from Ikea and used our dining table to lay them out in a pattern I liked.

I snapped this photo and then referred back to it in order to hang the frames in the same pattern.

And here is the finished project. I really enjoy getting to see some of my favorite pictures each day. It makes this rental feel a bit more like our home.

And the book page wreath I made so many months ago finally has a home. Bonus points!

Much to Bryce's dismay I think I might reupholster the dining room chairs next. Actually I really want to paint them and then reupholster them, but I think he would seriously put his foot down.

Harvesting

2011-07-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite things each summer is eating the harvest of fruits and vegetables from our garden. This year is no different.

Little Miss A has been enjoying it too!

Minestrone Soup

2011-07-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

I know soup is a bit more of a winter food, but when you look at a bowl of this minestrone full of fresh vegetables it is easy to see why it is so tempting to make it in the summer when the garden is ready to harvest. And as an added incentive for me to make it Audrey LOVES this stuff and gobbles it up by the bowlful. I made an extra big pot in order to have some leftover to freeze.

Minestrone Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces
2 zucchini, diced
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1.5 cups elbow macaroni
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly tender.

Add green beans, zucchini, and all the tomatoes.

Add chicken broth, water, beans, and basil.
Side note: you could easily use vegetable broth instead if you want to keep this vegetarian

Let simmer for 35 minutes and then add in macaroni. Continue to simmer until the macaroni is cooked and the vegetables are tender. I added another cup of water at this point because it had thickened a little too much.

My favorite way to enjoy this is topped with a few croutons and a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

A Good Read: Heaven is for Real

2011-07-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of this book?

It is the account of a little boy's visit to heaven during an emergency appendectomy.

I loved it and days later I'm still thinking about the story.

I know some people don't believe this at all and that's fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Nonetheless, I would still highly recommend the book.
You can read more about it here.

It is heart warming to hear a story of such childlike faith. Just believing without logic getting in the way.

Read it... you won't be sorry.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-07-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! I hope everyone has a spectacular Independence Day. We will be barbecuing with friends, watching the kids swim, and trying to beat the 100 degree heat with these homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches for dessert.

I've got to be honest. I'm pretty excited about this. Dessert may turn into an appetizer.

I used this recipe for the cookies from Two Tarts and man are they de.li.cous! This is definitely my new go to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. However, I did omit the extra sprinkle of salt on top... mostly because I forgot.

And here is the vanilla ice cream recipe:

1 quart half-and-half
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
small pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into ice cream machine and mix until soft serve consistency. Transfer to a freezer safe dish with a lid and freeze until hardened.

Add all of that to a meal of hamburgers, sausages, corn and watermelon and I think we just might have the perfect afternoon. How are you celebrating this year?

Posted at:

We Did It! Wednesday at Sew Much Ado

Audrey's First Birthday

2011-06-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

Audrey's first birthday was a blast. She showed up fashionably late because of a nap that lasted longer than expected and the weather kept us indoors, but all in all it was fabulous. We had a houseful of friends and family help us celebrate this milestone. Here are a few pictures from the day.

I'm not one who thinks a first birthday party should rival a wedding, so the decorations were kept nice and simple with a few homemade touches.

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a flag bunting to match the her invitations.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles, everyone agreed that these were delicious and as a bonus they were super easy to make. Here is where I found the recipe.

Audrey loved eating her cake. We joke that she explores the world with her pointer finger and her approach to the cake was no different. After she realized she liked it she dove right in. My only regret of the whole day is that we didn't have the video camera out to film her eating the cake. I figure if that is the worst thing about the whole day then we did pretty darn good.

She didn't think opening presents was half bad either.

I wish I could take credit for the beautiful photos, but all credit has to go to my sister of Erica Cunningham Photography. Thanks to everyone who helped make this day extra special.

Road Trip: San Francisco

2011-06-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

I love a good road trip. If it's spontaneous that's even better. Luckily, Bryce shares my love for road trips and we kind of make the perfect road trip team. Bryce is the driver and can usually drive indefinitely; while I'm a champion passenger, I don't get bored and have pretty decent navigational skills. A few summers ago we spent the better part of two months road tripping up and down the west coast. As much as I love big trips like the one we recently took to Hawaii, that summer of road trips ranks pretty high on my list of great memories.

Bryce has been working like crazy lately so when he had a day and a half off last Friday we decided to take advantage of it. We threw together a bag, booked a hotel room and hit the road for a night in San Francisco. We were literally only gone for 26 hours, but had a blast.

Friday night we wandered through the marketplace at pier 1. Oh my, how beautiful everything is. If I ever win the lottery I would love to walk to a place like this to buy my groceries each day.

Friday night we ate dinner at an Italian restaurant called Pazzia Restaurant and Pizzeria. It was INCREDIBLE. Not only was the food out of this world, but the atmosphere was great and they couldn't have been any friendlier to us and our happily noisy one year old. Check it out if you are in the area.

Saturday morning we got up and headed over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and the Bay Area Discovery Museum. It is a museum designed for kids 6 months to 8 years old. I would highly recommend it, although I would say 6 months might still be a bit young and 8 years old may be pushing too old. Everything was very hands on and interactive. There were plenty of both indoor and outdoor activities. Audrey had a great time and loved all the tunnels.

All in all we had a wonderful trip and came back feeling a bit rejuvenated, Audrey came back a bit exhausted... what more could you ask for? I think we have a little road tripper in the making.

Nightstand: Before and After

2011-06-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

Space is at a premium in our guest room, which is also my craft room. I redid the room back in September and am still happy with the results. Although I have always thought that I needed a second nightstand on the other side of the bed, but I wasn't able to find something small enough to fit. There is only about 10 inches between the wall and the bed. I know some of you are asking "then why not just push the bed those extra ten inches against the wall?" Well nothing drives me more crazy than when we stay the night at someone's house and my side of the bed is pushed up against the wall, meaning that I have to climb over Bryce if I want to get up or down. Hence the need for a tiny little nightstand.

Enter this little beauty I found at a yard sale for two dollars.

Bryce cut that top inch of the legs off for me and I gave it four coats of "Fuzzy Navel" yellow paint and this is what we ended up with.

The perfect size nightstand for a very small space.

I still love the gray and yellow combo in here, but I'm thinking a pop of color is in order. Maybe a little red? We'll see what I find at the next yard sale.

Posted at:

Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous
We Did It! Wednesday at Sew Much Ado

Painting

2011-06-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Our dining room table has looked like this for the majority of the last week...

I've been painting.

A lot.

So far I've painted a side table, a coat rack, a mirror and a few pictures frames.

For the most part I've been having great success.

However, have you ever tried to paint a picture frame from Ikea?

Don't!

At least not unless you realize you are trying to paint something oil based.

Here is my first attempt trying to paint the picture frame...

Obviously the paint wasn't sticking so I stopped, let it dry and sanded the frame.

I figured the frame just needed to be roughed up a little for the paint to stick.

Attempt number two had exactly the same results.

Again, I stopped, let it dry and sanded the heck out of it.

Here's attempt number three...

No better.

Luckily at this point I happened to mention this to my mom, who is truly an expert when it comes to all things paint, stain and otherwise refinished, and she said the original paint must be oil based and that no matter how many times I started over and sanded the frame the latex paint I was using was never going to stick.

Bummer.

I'm off to find a new non-oil based picture frame today.

And I'll be back tomorrow with one of my newly refinished projects...

A $2 yard sale find turned into the perfect nightstand for a very tight place.

Recap

2011-06-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit absent lately. We've been spending a lot of time outside and enjoying the beautiful weather before it gets too hot. Here is a little of what we have been up to.

Swim lessons with her Uncle Jeffie.

A couple of trips to the zoo.

A lot of backyard swimming, complete with funny faces.

And a baseball game where her Uncle Blake quickly became her favorite after giving her her first taste of licorice.

Are We Related?

2011-06-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

The phone rang today and when I went to answer it I noticed that the caller ID read our last name with the first initial J. I couldn't figure out who it would be. Bryce does have a cousin, or second cousin, or something like that whose name begins with a J, but it seemed like a pretty slim chance he would be calling us.

The conversation went something like this...

J: Is this Bryce?
Me: No, this is his wife, may I take a message?
J: My last name is the same as yours.
Me: OK?
J: Are we related?
Me: I don't think so.
J: Are you from Mississippi?
Me: No, sorry you must be looking for someone else.
J: Nope, I think we's related.
Me: How did you find our phone number?
J: In them white pages.
Me: ...
J: So, maybe you's all related to me?
Me: No, sorry, I really don't think so. My husband's family is not from Mississippi.
J: Well, I was just looking y'all up in the white pages and I figured we's must be related.

Much to J's dismay I quickly ended the conversation and hung up a bit baffled. We don't have that unique of a last name and I can honestly say no one has ever randomly called me or us before because they thought they had found long lost family.

I kind of feel bad for J, he seemed so excited to find some family. Maybe the next people he calls will happen to be from Mississippi.

One Year Old!

2011-06-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Audrey turned one on Saturday!

For the last year I've been getting a weekly email from BabyCenter with the subject "My Baby This Week" on Saturday the subject read "My Toddler This Week." That was a little weird to see.

Her party was a blast. I'll share photos soon. But for now I am savoring one last day with family in town.

Hope everyone had as great of a weekend as I did, happy Monday!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-05-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

Remember this post I wrote awhile back about how I compost right in my garden? Well I have to say I think my garden is growing better than ever. Last year I had a lot of seeds that never sprouted and my pepper only produced one pepper the entire season. This year everything is looking healthy, growing quickly, and I already have three pepper starts on my plant.

{This was a little over a week ago and everything is even bigger now}

I would call that a success. Or more like a success with one ~~slightly~~ rather annoying, but somewhat amusing, exception.

See those short little, dark green plants between the two larger bean plants? Any idea what it is? I didn't have a clue either, but plants just like this were sprouting up in tight little clusters by the tens. In all honestly, I have probably pulled hundreds of these out by now. In an attempt to figure out what it was I let one grow a little more instead of pulling it out and it was all too obvious after it got bigger... they are squash plants.

Yay, right? I'm growing squash... umm, no. I didn't plant squash. But what I did do was bury HUNDREDS of squash seeds from all of the food I made Audrey over the winter. Check this post out. Yes, I know those are carrots, but I basically did the same thing with squash and threw all of the seeds from all of those squash into my garden. OOPS!!

Basically what I am saying here is that the compost is making my garden rock, you really should try it, but be careful what you compost because it may just come back to haunt you!

Custom Invitations Tutorial

2011-05-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I shared the custom invitations I made for Audrey's birthday. I am slightly obsessed with bunting right now and love how these turned out. A few people have asked me how I did it, so I thought I would share a quick step-by-step. They are really simple to put together.

Here is what you'll need:
Scrapbook paper in an assortment of colors/designs (I used 7 different patterns)
Blank Cards
Glue
Sewing Machine with coordinating thread

If you are going to have any printing on your cards you need to do it first, you won't be able to print after you make the bunting. I printed the word celebrate on the outside and all of the party information on the inside.

Start by cutting out small triangles from the scrapbook paper. I used my Silhouette to cut out the triangles, but you could also cut these by hand if you don't have that option. I only used one piece of each type of paper and had way more than enough triangles for ten cards.

Next, place a tiny bit of glue, I used a toothpick to apply it, to the top of a triangle and glue it down starting one on edge of the card. Continue by gluing the triangles side by side until you get to the other edge. You kind of just have to visualize how you want the strand to lay... a big curve, straight across, an angle downwards and place the triangles accordingly.

Note: If you are going to have two strands of bunting cross in the middle only glue one strand of triangles down, sew it, and then glue the top strand of triangles and sew it seperately.

After all of the triangles are glued down sew along the top of each strand of triangles. If you have cards that fold, like mine did, make sure your card is open so you don't sew the two layers together.

And that's it. Fun invitations, completely custom and super simple.

Posted at:

Made By You Monday on Skip To My Lou
Get Your Craft On on Today's Creative Blog

psst...

2011-05-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

If there were a way to whisper while typing I am doing it, you know, as in just between you and me let's keep this on the DL. I'm really not sure if I should be bragging about this...

Remember when I mentioned this site awhile back about two lovely ladies setting the record straight on mean comments?!? Guess what they are talking about today???? Go look now!

That's right... me and a comment that was left on the One Month To Win It site about the bag I made. I'm going to be honest, after the initial comment was made I felt bad for inadvertently hurting someone's feelings, after the second comment was made I had my feelings hurt a little, now after reading this post I am happy as a clam. A huge thank you to Viv and Mandi... you have started my weekend off on the right foot! And a huge thank you to all the anonymous commenters who were sticking up for me, many people didn't realize, but the only comment I ever made was the one apologizing... apparently the original commenter made a few other people mad along the way.

The Picnic Bag

2011-05-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

Did you see the results of One Month To Win It? My picnic bag came in third place! I had a lot of fun participating this month. Some of the weeks were more challenging than others and I really enjoyed seeing what everyone else came up with, plus a little added drama in the end provided a lot of laughs for people around here.

Although the other entries this week were much more elaborate, I really do love this bag and how functional it is. I know it will get a lot of use this summer.

And if you are wondering what a months worth of crafts and third place gets me...

I won:

1 pattern from V and Co.

$25 gift certificate to Stamped with Love

I am so excited to go shopping, although I will have a hard time choosing what to get.

Hope everyone has a nice and relaxing three day weekend!

Guest Post

2011-05-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm guest posting on Rain or Shine today!

My dear friend Kira and her husband are expecting their first baby and she asked me to write a guest post with advice. Head on over to Rain or Shine and check it out. Take a look around while you're there... her blog is always amusing. Plus she has a great giveaway going right now for her custom made headbands.

{Kira and I at my baby shower last spring}

Tasty Tuesday: Some Must Try New Recipes

2011-05-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

We tried a few new recipes last week that were all delicious. I thought I would pass them along because they are all worth making and super easy. I'm looking forward to making them all again.

Flaky Mushroom and Gruyere Tarts from Real Simple

These tarts were incredibly delicious. I used sliced baby bellas because I couldn't find a mushroom blend. They would be great as little appetizers too.

Orecchiette with Kale, Bacon, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes from Cooking Light

I wasn't able to find orecchiette pasta and the kale at the grocery store looked less than fresh so I used whole grain penne and chard. We all thought it was very tasty. I am looking forward to having it again.

Walnut-Breadcrumb Pasta with a Soft Egg from Cooking Light

I know this recipe may sound a bit strange, but it was incredible. I actually liked it best without the egg, but Bryce LOVED it with the egg.

Korean-Style Beef Skewers with Rice Noodles from Cooking Light

I had no idea how good rice noodles were. They're delicious, as were the beef skewers. Fair warning though, this dish is spicy.

Go Vote!

2011-05-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

It is the last week of One Month To Win It! The projects are amazing. Go here and vote now for your favorite. I have had so much fun participating. The winner will be announced on Friday.

Felt Play Mat

2011-05-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

I made it to the finals of One Month To Win It! I am definitely a little surprised, but excited for one last week and one last challenge.

This week we had to copy another blogger's project or use a tutorial. I saw this adorable play mat over at Cook Clean Craft and couldn't resist.

It even folds up into a cute little house to take with you wherever you would want to go.

In all honesty it was fun to make, but sewing each piece down took a lot longer than expected. I have another one to make for another little friend, this time I know to start much earlier.

And see that amazing wooden toy car. My mom made that. She surprised Audrey with a set of two and bridges to go with them over Easter and they were just so adorable that I asked her to make a couple more to include with the play mats.

Posted at:

Show and Tell on Blue Cricket Designs

Whatever Goes Wednesday on Someday Crafts

We Did It! Wednesday on Sew Much Ado

Free Alphabet Printables

2011-05-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

How absolutely amazing are these?

{source}

I mean, we are talking seriously adorable stuff here. I have been looking for something just like this for Audrey's room and now not only have I found it, but I found something that is FREE. What could be better? You can find them here.

{source}

Audrey's room has been embarrassingly sparse for the last year. Yet somehow in the last couple of weeks it is as though it has just come together on its own. Between the Footprint Shadowbox, a print from Bryce's grandma's house, these printables and a few other smaller items we have found a lot of great stuff to put in there. I am excited to get it all together and will make sure to share a picture when it's finished.

Kale

2011-05-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

Have you tried kale? That dark green, leafy stuff next to all the other dark green, leafy things in the produce section. Most of the time I just walk right past that section not having any idea what to do with that kind of produce. But a few weeks ago I tried a pasta recipe with kale in it and now I am hooked. It is really good and doesn't get all mushy when cooked like spinach.

So far I have only sauteed it and used it in pastas, but I've heard that baking it to make kale chips is good too. I'm excited to find more ways to use it. And this week at the grocery store I bought chard, I'm really branching out in the dark green, leafy category.

p.s. See that lemon in the picture... that's from our lemon tree. Oh, how I love our lemon tree. Sadly, we are down to one last lemon. I'm already looking forward to the next crop.

Week 3

2011-05-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

It's week 3 of One Month To Win It!

This week's theme was to create something using another blogger's tutorial. Go here and vote for your favorite (hopefully it will be mine).

Audrey's Custom Invitations

2011-05-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yay! I made it to week 3 of One Month To Win It. Did you guess that I made the birthday invitations? Audrey's birthday is fast approaching and I was so excited to make her some invitations. And custom invitations that cost less than $5? Yes please!

I'm hard at work on my week 3 project. So far I am LOVING it. Be back on Monday with some fun new stuff! Have a great weekend.

Week 2

2011-05-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

The projects are up over at One Month To Win It. It is amazing what people can create for less than $5.00.

Go here and vote now if you haven't yet!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Photo by Erica Cunningham Photography

I hope you all are having a great day and getting pampered a little, I know I am.

Footprint Shadowbox

2011-05-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

Did you guess which project was mine this week on One Month To Win It?

I made the footprint shadowbox to be able to remember Audrey's tiny little feet forever. It was actually really straightforward to put together and makes such an impact in her room. I love the 3D quality the butterflies give.

This is definitely one of my all time favorite projects. And I am excited to have made it to the second week of the competition.

Posted at:

Made By You Mondays on Skip To My Lou

My New Toy

2011-05-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

Bryce surprised me with the best Mother's Day gift ever (a few days early because he is working all day on Sunday and the kiddo and I will be out of town). A beautiful, shiny, new Silhouette SD.

Seriously, I am beyond excited. I am having so much fun playing around with it. This thing is amazing and can cut such intricate designs. The list of projects I will use it for just keeps growing.

p.s. Have you voted yet? Go here and vote now if you haven't!!

Week 1

2011-05-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

The week one projects are up over at

onemonthtowinit.blogspot.com

go vote!!

I loved this weeks theme and the projects are all amazing.

I will be lucky if I make it to week 2.

The Everything Tote

2011-04-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

I started this bag at 8:00 the night before we left for Hawaii. Probably not the best plan, but I was desperately trying to get everything packed and was having no luck fitting everything into the bags I own.

I need a bag that can do everything. It needs to be a purse, a diaper bag, a camera bag, a swim bag, and even a lunch box and major bonus points if it is durable, kid friendly, and easy to clean. I wasn't quite able to get it done before we left, but finally finished it today and love it. I can easily pack everything I need and everything has its own space. No more digging to the bottom to find something. And there is even room for the camera.

The best part, the whole bag cost me a whopping $5. The striped fabric was on sale at Ikea for $2.99/yard, I already had the yellow fabric for the lining and the zipper was $2 after I used a coupon at JoAnns. Now that is my kind of bag.

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Made By You Mondays on Skip To My Lou

Yippee!

2011-04-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ahh! I am so excited!

I was picked to compete in One Month To Win It.

The first week of competition starts in May.

Now I have some serious crafting to do.

Happy Monday everyone!