Newly Nesting

Shower Baby Shower

2012-02-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I helped my mother-in-law plan and decorate for a baby shower. She found this picture off Pinterest of an adorable cloud with little rain drops falling from it and all the food items had something to do with that theme.

Well as I typically do, I super-sized that idea and created this Shower themed baby shower. It was such a fun theme for a baby boy shower.

Here are the clouds we made using tissue paper and filled in the gaps with white balloons. My mother-in-law made the rain drops by cutting out hearts then folding them in half and gluing them upside-down to a length of fishing line. (Be careful that you have a place to keep these flat and separated because they tangle up very easily!)

We made these little poufs out of Styrofoam balls and coffee filters. You just fold the coffee filter in half twice then using a small straight pin, pin it into the ball. Leave a little space at the bottom to place it onto your surface. We used candle sticks to elevate them so they looked like clouds.

I made these cupcakes for the shower in the colors of blue, white, and yellow. They turned out so adorable. The recipe is top-secret because it is my sister's Cupcakery's recipe. Oh they are to DIE for! You will have to head over to her blog and order some right now!

For the food we made my classic Caprese Salad on a stick I used in this blog post (recipe is included). They are always delicious! The other food items served were chips and a spinach, artichoke dip (from Costco), and a green salad.

We also provided a chocolate fountain with all the trimmings. Honestly, chocolate fountains are not my favorite when planning an event. They are a little more work than you really plan for and want. The chocolate fountain worked out fine here as we were mostly ladies (no children) and we could pretty well keep ourselves clean and tidy. If you are wanting a chocolate fountain but recognize that there will be a big mess associated with it, just opt for things like chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate dipped cakes or cookies, and chocolate covered nuts. These will most likely be much cheaper options than a chocolate fountain anyways.

In lieu of a guest book we provided a set of scriptures along with a note that encouraged guests to think of their favorite scripture to help our mom-to-be with her future parenting. Use the markers provided to mark and then write a personal note along side it. The note read: "In lieu of a guest book, please be thinking of a scripture that will help 'Mom-to-Be's name' on her new parenting adventure. Before you leave, mark that scripture in the Book of Mormon provided and feel free to write a little note on the pages or margins next to it. Don't forget to sign your name!"

At first guests seemed a little wary of this idea and had a hard time coming up with a scripture off hand but after a while people started marking and I hope that set of scriptures has become an important resource for the mom-to-be.

When you entered we had this banner hung to greet the guests. I made this custom banner for the mom-to-be. If you are interested in a custom banner like this one, send me an e-mail with the word, your colors, and your overall theme of your party/decor and I will get back to you with a quote. I typically charge $3.00 per letter. You can see the halloween banner I made here.

Please check out the other parties I have hosted by clicking on the tab at the top of the blog that says "Parties". Let me know what you think!
I am participating in
Tablescape Thursday
Centerpiece Wednesday

A study on C-man

2012-02-06T07:30:00.000-08:00

While we were visiting family for Christmas I took these pictures of C-man. He had woken up from his nap before his sister and we were just hanging out together - which doesn't get to happen too often anymore.

He is such a goof-ball!

Here he is trying to eat without using his hands - he really likes to do this now....

Woah - too close!

I love that crazy kid.

Tea with Gigi

2012-02-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

My grandma has always been a fancy grandma. I can remember prancing through her lush gardens, covered in all manner of dress-up clothes, towards a gazebo with a perfectly set table ready for a tea party. We would drink hot chocolate with marshmallows and rainbow sprinkles (pinkies up!), eat muffins that had been sliced and toasted then topped with butter (yum!), freshly made chocolate chip scones (double yum!), and other little special treats. She always had sugar cubes with little sugar flowers on top. And her many tea sets were fascinating! To a little girl, it was like a fairy tale heaven. We also learned how to eat like a lady and she would often let us cook little delights with her too.

Grandma is the source of all our creativeness. She has done it all; sewing, cooking, traveling, entrepreneur-ing, gardening, tea partying, decorating, and inspiring all her female posterity while doing it.

Well now days with my own little princess/fairy running around we sometimes find the spare moments to sit down and have a tea party but not as often as I wish and not quite as beautiful as I remember.

Luckily Ella got to experience a little of Gigi's tea party magic when she visited us over Thanksgiving. It was priceless to see what I so often felt as a little girl at tea with grandma.

Here are the photos that so perfectly capture the essence of Tea with Gigi.

To get inspired by Gigi yourself go check out her blog - I promise, it will leave you feeling inspired.

Head Photographer for The Style Sisters

2012-02-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

That is my new title. Haha, actually The Style Sisters is my mom's blog and I guess I could take on many hats if I were to give myself an official title like, Graphic Designer, Stylist, Brainstormer, Photographer, Name-maker-uper... the list goes on.

Of course having all these titles makes it hard for me to find time to author my own blog at times when my mom is constantly asking when I will have the next set of pictures done and when her blog will be fully designed and ready.

Basically what I am trying to get at is the fact that if you start to see some redundancy between the two of our blogs it is because I have been working on photographing, designing, styling, etc for her.

Nonetheless, we did just complete a magnificent tablescape for her blog and I must say it was fun! So here is a little sneak peek at the beauty we created.

These are our little Spinach Salad-"tinis" and they tasted just as good as they look! I created little parmesan cheese crisps to give the dish a little drama.

You can check out all the rest of the details at my mom's blog, The Style Sisters. Also, if you are in to table setting like my mom is, she hosts a blog linky party each week called Centerpiece Wednesdays - get your table set and photos taken and you can join in on the fun next week!

Here is where my styling and name-maker-uper skills were put to work. I call these Bouquets de Crudites. [cru-de-tay]

Another of the top of my head masterpiece (if I may...) Cream cheese with grilled chicken and peach chutney, sprinkled with julienned apples atop a cracker. So delicious. I was a little nervous to taste this idea that just popped out of my head into reality. I made my mom taste it first and she said it was really good so I mustered up the courage and took a bite and man! It was good. Very full of contrasting flavor and textures.

These babies are my mom's brainchild. She whipped together what looks like a mini french fruit tart in like 5 seconds! All it took was some pound cake, a cookie cutter, some instant pudding, and some amazing looking fresh berries and voila!

So go check out all the pretty-ness over at my mom's blog along with the recipes for these delectable treats. Also, if you are loving those little crown votives in the photo above, those are for sale on her blog, a set of 4 for $10. They are so adorable and just right to fancy up any table.

No Hurry Vegetarian Curry - Crock Pot Meal

2012-02-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

So I have this internal need to multi-task. I LOVE things that help me do that like the washer and dryer, the dishwasher, and bloggers scheduling feature. If I can throw in a load of laundry, whip the dishes into the dish washer, and sweep the floor all at the same time, I feel like superwoman! A few other things that help me multi task are my crock-pot and making my own stock. The other day it was snowing like crazy outside and I had my washer and dryer going, my dishwasher washing, and a pot of stock simmering on the stove filling my house with this intense aroma that was making me salivate while I was typing furiously my blog posts for the next week. It was a good day. (Now only if I could invent a machine to fold my laundry for me too, then I would be in business!)

So to help you multi-task here is a delicious vegetarian crock-pot meal that my family loves. It is adapted from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty One-Pot Meals that are Ready When you are by Robin Robertson.

No Hurry Vegetarian Curry Crock-Pot Meal - by Madeline
Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon canola oil
4 large carrots, diced or 1 lb baby carrots, diced
2 medium sized yellow onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less, depending on how much heat you want)
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
16 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Two 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Two 15 oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 can canned unsweetened coconut milk (or more if desired)
Salt

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and onions and saute until soft, aprox. 5 minutes. Add the garlic, curry powder, coriander, and cayenne, stirring to coat, leave on the heat until fragrant.
2. Transfer the mixture to a crock-pot. Add the potatoes, green beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, and stock; cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
3. Just before serving, stir in the peas and coconut milk and season with salt. Taste to adjust the seasonings.

Just put the peas on the counter while your crock-pot does its thing. They will be perfectly thaw by the time you need them. Or if you have little kiddos, add the frozen peas to the hot curry and it will bring the temp down for their little mouths.

These are my favorite potatoes to use, I never buy russets anymore. These have a naturally buttery flavor to them and so you don't have to add as much butter, increasing the fat.

I always keep a baggie in my freezer for all my veggie scraps. All those onion ends, peels, potato skins, etc that you would normally throw in the garbage - save them in a bag in your freezer and when it gets full you can make veggie stock. Just add the frozen veg scraps to a large stock pot and fill 3/4 full with water. Add approx 10 whole peppercorns, 1-2 bay leafs, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and a good pinch of any other herbs you like.
This is a great way to get free stock, because who wants to pay over $3 for a carton of this stuff? I know I don't. Also, if you have a leftover chicken carcass from a roasted chicken or perhaps you cooked bone in beef, save those bones too and you can throw them in the stock to make chicken or beef stock! You just bring the pot to a boil and then turn the heat down to low and cover. Let simmer for 1 hour. When it is done, allow to cool and divide it up into 1 cup measurements and freeze in plastic baggies. You can also put 1/4 cup portions in a large muffin tin and place that in your freezer then pop them out and keep frozen in a plastic bag.
I use stock all the time in my cooking so I keep about 4 cups in my fridge and the remainder in the freezer to thaw as needed.

Have I talked about the importance of mise en place? [MEEZ ahn plahs]. It is a fancy french cooking term which means everything in it's place. Basically when you read through an ingredient list and it says things like "1 yellow onion, chopped" - the recipe time and flow is counting on you having already chopped your onion (not trying to squeeze that in while heating the pan or stirring another pot). It has taken me a while to get in the habit of pre-prepping everything before I begin cooking a recipe. It has helped IMMENSELY! You know all those times when you are like in the middle of baking cookies and realize that after you have mixed half the ingredients together you are out of vanilla or eggs or some essential ingredient - well if you practice mise en place, that never happens to you!

It takes a little effort and remembering but it is well worth it so I suggest trying it out on your next recipe and see if you agree.

Yummy, yummy, yummy! Can't wait for this batch to be done.

If you don't have enough people in your family to make the entire batch - it's ok, just make it anyways and freeze the rest in approx 1 portion sizes (or enough to feed your family again). This freezes pretty darn well and as a home chef, you should always, "Cook once, eat twice".

Linking this post to Foodie Friday

Christmas with Grandma Kelly and Grandpa Mike

2012-02-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

Another late holiday post but I just wanted to get them done and out of the way. So for Christmas we headed down south to visit with my husband's family. It was very fun and the kids were OVERLOADED with presents from Santa and both their grandparents. They loved it!

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law set this amazing wintery table. It was so sparkly and magical looking, I loved it!

I was head chef in the kitchen and here is the menu we pumped out for our dinner for 8 on Christmas Eve.

Stuffed Pork Loin - I just kind of made it up so I don't really have a recipe for you, but it was good!
Roasted Potato Stacks
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pistachios
Mashed Carrots
Waldorf Gelatin Salad
and Rolls

Yum Yum! (Sorry the coloring in the pictures are a little off - the lighting in my in-law's house makes it hard to get things right.)

We even had male help in the kitchen - it was truly a magical Christmas.

One happy girl on Christmas. Hopefully you and yours had a most joy filled Christmas and best wishes this new year.

Favorite Chef Series: Jamie Oliver

2012-01-31T07:30:00.000-08:00

Over the summer we lived in Chicago for a few short months. While living there my husband would work very late nights so I would be up from 7pm till 11pm all by my self. We didn't have a T.V. and I did get some sewing done here and there but we didn't bring all our stuff with us so I only had limited supplies.
So what did I do? I turned to Netflix on our laptop. I watched a few old British BBC flicks like Wives and Daughters but mostly, I got HOOKED on Jamie Oliver's Oliver's Twist cooking show.

A few years ago, when I would frequent Barnes and Noble, I would see this "Naked Chef" cookbook but it sounded scandalous, so I never picked it up. Well much to my chagrin, a couple years down the road I happened to be perusing through a Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and I came upon an article featuring Mr. Oliver and his amazing efforts to healthify Britan's school lunches. The article also included some garden tips and delicious looking recipes. This planted the seed. I had never really heard of this Jamie Oliver and I wanted to see what all the hub-bub was about. Plus, he was British, isn't that like one of the worst food capitals in the world (or at least worst for you).

Being a big fan of the TED talks I saw that Jamie Oliver had won the 2010 TED talks award. I watched it and was blown away. The fact that we have made food the enemy when in reality we should be eating healthier, home cooked foods and save the treats for just that - a treat (not an every day occurrence). Well, come to find out I had some mis-information concerning Britan's food scene especially because of Jamie Oliver. So back to those late summer nights while I waited around for my husband to get home... I started watching Jamie Oliver's cooking show, this is not the one currently on the air, this is a loose, funny, more real life show that aired from 2002-2004 in England. Now, I enjoy a little British humor every once in a while and so this show was just the thing I needed to spark my cooking juices and give me a laugh at the same time.

I would find myself in the kitchen thinking, "Where did I put that 'tin' of tomat-o-es." (with a slight British accent.) It not only gave me an alter cooking ego but it opened this new avenue of cooking for me - not measuring things precisely but going off smell, look, and taste. I had previously dabbled in trying to create my own recipes using a few of these tactics (mostly smell, because that is how Remi from Ratataouille does it, right?!) By watching and absorbing some of Jamie Oliver's techniques it allowed me to begin experimentation on my own. My husband, Peter, was loving this new method of my cooking and he would get really excited when he would come home and ask what we were having. If I would respond with a slightly hesitant, "Well, I sort of just made things up," then he would get this gleam of excitement in his eye.

Jamie Oliver has not only transformed my way of cooking but he has set out to create better school lunches for both the children in his country and in ours. It was very impressive to see the changes he would make in the two cities he has worked in. Now I know he is putting on a reality T.V. show (and I am not a big fan of reality T.V.) but the information shared on his Food Revolution show was extremely informative. He would bring a live cow into his kitchen and draw on the cow where each cut of meat comes from and then go on to explain what happens to the rest of the cow (the inedible parts) and how it can get put into our ground beef. (GROSS!) He also showed an amazing demonstration of how much junk food a family eats in one week. He filled their house with all the pizza, soda pop, and crap food this family was eating on a weekly basis - it was disgusting! All of this was an effort to expose to people what is happening to our food (processing) and how much of that junk we end up eating.

Now that I have throughly grossed you out, his recipes are AMAZING! I love using his recipes. They are adventurous, flavorful, and usually end up looking killer! You can access some recipes on his website but he has authored 16 cookbooks of which I have only gotten my hands on two so far. The nice thing about his recipes is that they are easy to do at home. He has authored a few cookbooks that are 20-minute meals, which are life savers! I do have the Jamie Oliver App which has quite a few recipes and he continually updates it. The look of the app is so nice and I like a lot of the little features he has in it to make cooking easier too.

A few of the little tool he has introduced me to is the pestle and mortar. I love using spices instead of salt and fats to flavor a dish and so to have a pestle and mortar which I can use to grind my own spices, make salad dressings, hummus, and pesto! I also have been able to improve my knife care and skills from watching his shows and little you tube clips. I feel like he has done so much to reach out to the at home chef and make life easier for them, not try and make you cook like a posh restaurant chef.

There is so much more I could cover about this awesome chef but for your sake I will just give you some recipes and let you go check out his website, videos, and cookbooks on your own - and you really should.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Pancetta, Leeks and Thyme by Jamie Oliver
Serves 4
Make this recipe in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
2 large leeks
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
Olive Oil
Butter
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
White wine (or chicken broth)
12 slices of pancetta

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the chicken breast in a bowl. Trim and wash the leek, remove the outer leaves, then slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Add these to the bowl with the leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a good glug of olive oil, a knob of butter, a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a good swig of the wine (or broth) and toss together.
Place your leeks and flavorings from the bowl into the tray, then wrap each chicken breast in 4 or 5 slices of pancetta. This will not only flavor the chicken but also protect it while it cooks. Try and bend the sides of the tin foil tray in towards the chicken so the leeks don't burn during cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, place a couple of whole thyme sprigs on top and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

*This recipe is so good and even though it may scare you off because there aren't exact measurements just give it a try. I bet you can gauge what is a reasonable amount of a "good glug of olive oil".*

Awesome Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni by Jamie Oliver
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 knobs of butter
Olive Oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a large handful of fresh marjoram or oregano, roughly chopped
1/4 of a nutmeg, grated
9 large handfuls of spinach, throughly washed
a handful of fresh basil, stalks chopped, leaves ripped
two 14 oz cans of chopped tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of sugar
14 oz ricotta cheese
2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 cannelloni tubes (or 10 boiled lasagna noodles)
7 oz mozzarella, broken up

For the white sauce:
1 pint of creme fraiche
3 anchovies, finely chopped
2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

This is such wonderfully light and super-tasty cannelloni, and again I've avoided making the frustrating, painstaking béchamel sauce and given you a much tastier and simpler version. All you need to make sure of is that you fill the cannelloni well with the ricotta and spinach mix, so it's not all full of air. And the lovely thing about it is that it goes crispy and golden on top, but remains soft and moist at the bottom. You'll love it!

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Then find a metal baking pan or ovenproof dish that will fit the cannelloni in one layer so it's nice and snug. This way you'll get the right cover of sauce and the right amount of crispiness on top. When I cook this at home I just use one pan to cut down on lots of washing up! Take your metal pan or a saucepan, put it on a high heat and add your butter, a drizzle of olive oil, one of the sliced garlic cloves, a handful of marjoram or oregano and the grated nutmeg. By the time the pan is hot the garlic should be soft. Put as much spinach as will fit into the pan. Keep turning it over; it will wilt quickly so you will be able to keep adding more spinach until it's all in. Moisture will cook out of the spinach, which is fine. By cooking it this way you don't lose any of the nutrients that you would if boiling it in water.

After 5 minutes, put the spinach into a large bowl and leave to cool. Place the pan back on the heat, add a little olive oil, the other clove of sliced garlic, your basil stalks and the tomatoes, then fill one of the empty tomato cans with cold water and add this too. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, add a pinch of salt and pepper and the sugar, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until you get a loose tomato sauce consistency. Then take the pan off the heat and add the basil leaves.

By now the spinach will have cooled down, so squeeze any excess liquid out of it and pour this back into the bowl. Finely chop the spinach and put it back into the bowl. Mix it with the liquid, add the ricotta and a handful of the Parmesan, and then use a piping bag to squeeze the mixture into the cannelloni. You can make your own piping bag by getting a plastic sandwich bag and putting the spinach mix into the corner of it. Then twist the bag up and cut the corner off. Carefully squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes so each one is filled right up – really easy. (Or if using the lasagna noodles, taking one noodle at a time, spread the spinach and ricotta mixture over 3/4 of the noodle then roll up like a jelly roll. Place in sauce and continue as directed.)

Lay the cannelloni over the tomato sauce in the pan. Or you can pour the tomato sauce into your ovenproof dish and lay the cannelloni on top. To make the white sauce, mix together the crème fraîche, anchovies and the 2 handfuls of Parmesan with a little salt and pepper, then loosen with a little water until you can spoon it over the cannelloni. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and the mozzarella pieces, and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

*Don't let the anchovies scare you. I was nervous and this was my first recipe using them. The cream sauce is AMAZING! There is no trace of the anchovies in the dish other than this amazingly rich flavor.*

E. and the Snowman

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

We haven't had much snow around these parts but during one of our few snows, I took these pics of E out building a snowman with her Rere (grandma) and Papa (grandpa).

The hat she is wearing is one I crocheted for her last summer while we were living in the Mid-West. I had a friend we met there that taught me how to crochet - she was an incredible teacher!

She will only wear dresses or skirts now-a-days so it is pretty difficult for me to get across to her that it is FREEZING outside and she needs to have something to cover her legs. Lets just say that she wears a lot of leggings because to her they aren't the despicable pants! Also, it was a miracle that she allowed those sweat pants to be put on her for something other than to go to bed.

A hug for the snowman. Hopefully you are enjoying your winter where ever you may live!

Baking with Ella - Cookies for the Neighbor Girls

2012-01-29T07:30:00.000-08:00

One afternoon my mom was busy making cookies for a cookie exchange party she was going to and Ella saw how much fun my mom was having and wanted to join in the fun.

My mom was making these Spritz Cookies, a pressed cookie, and decided to dye some pink and have Ella help her decorate then help Ella deliver them to her two little neighbor friends. It was so adorable to watch how meticulous Ella was in decorating these cookies. She decorated the pink ones all by herself. She was so proud and excited to deliver them to her friends.

This could be a wonderful Valentine's Day present for you and your little ones to make for a few of their friends. If you have a cookie press it makes it all even easier because you don't have to roll the dough and you don't have little hands trying to "help".

Plus, they taste delicious! They are small and have a wonderful almond flavor. Yum!

Valentine's Salad Recipe

2012-01-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

So remember this frozen cranberry delicisousness I was telling you about in my recent Thanksgiving post? Well I lied about one thing, the recipe isn't my Great Grandmas (although she has one like it with cherries in it - and well, I am not a huge cherry fan) but my Grandma Letty's recipe. (Not from the same family.)

I have some pretty amazing grandmas. I have two that are just flat out some of the best chef's I have ever met and another one is like the best bargain shopper in the world (she can work a Macy's clearance sale like nothing you have ever seen!)

My grandma Letty used to run a bed and breakfast up in Lake Arrowhead and would cook these incredible breakfasts for her guests. She loves Ina Garten's recipes too and even gives a HUGE binder full of recipes to all the relatives who get married. She is so sweet and even gave one to my mother-in-law (which she uses ALL the time!) Her recipes are so flavorful, I love it when she visits and cooks for me.

Anyways, this recipe is one that we have every year for Thanksgiving because it is just that good. But my mom and I were thinking the other day, this would be such a fun frozen salad side dish for Valentine's Day! It is pink and can be frozen into any shape (like a heart) plus, it is GOOD!

Here is the recipe and hopefully you try it out for your lover on Valentine's Day.

Pink Arctic Ice by Grandma Letty
Ingredients:
One 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
2 tablespoons mayonaise
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound can whole berry cranberry sauce
One 9 oz. can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
One 8 oz. tub cool whip

Soften cream cheese, blend in mayo and sugar and mix well. Add cranberries, pineapple and nuts. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour into oiled mold, cover and freeze overnight.

Linking up this recipe to Foodie Friday, and Inspiration Friday

Crafts with Kids - Discovery Box

2012-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Discovery boxes are a fun and tactile way for kids to express their creativity and individuality.
I found a box and put in pipe cleaners in all different colors and textures and feathers in all colors and shapes. I put a lid on the box and then presented it to the kids as though it were a gift. They were so excited to open it. And the greatest thing is it took me less than 2 minutes to put it all together!

After they opened the box and dumped all the contents out on the table I gave them each a colander with holes large enough to fit the pipe cleaners and the feathers. The whole idea on this is to let them use creative expression without guidance or restrictions. I just let them go to town. C-man had a little difficulty sticking things in the holes but once I showed him a couple of times he was doing it all on his own.

C-man has been really into trucks, trains, and airplanes so he sort of built a tunnel for his "Mater" truck to fit through.

E's was really a work of art. I was very impressed at how much she did this all on her own. She is always wanting me to do things for her these days. So it was nice to just watch her do something by herself.

Give discovery boxes a try with your kids and watch their little creative minds at work. Here is a great post about discovery boxes for different ages too!

Linked up to the following party:
Frugal Friday on Life as Mom

My Family's Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

I know I am totally behind the times here but I LOVE Thanksgiving and I finally pulled these images off my camera so I thought I would share them with you.

In my family Thanksgiving is a big deal. We don't usually all get together at Christmas or Easter but when Thanksgiving rolls around someone gets the "privilege" of hosting it at their house. Any given Thanksgiving we could be feeding 25+ people. This year was a slightly more lean year as one of my Aunt's and her kids celebrated with the other side of the family (there are 10 of them total). So it gets crazy but it is always fun! This year since my parents bought a new home within the year, everyone decided they should host Thanksgiving. We were living in their basement at the time and so I would have had to have taken my fair share of the prep work, however I fell ill the week of Thanksgiving so I was excused with the exception of the cranberry sauce and an apple pie.

If you have ever been to my Mom's blog you will know that table presentation is extremely important to her. She LOVES to set tables and do what she lovingly calls tablescapes. We had decorated a few parties/events during the earlier fall months so we had more than enough Thanksgiving related ideas in stock to whip out something fabulous!

Her napkin rings that she used to sell on her blog - always a nice touch!

Busy bees working in the kitchen to finalize the masterpiece!

Grandpa snitches a few bites of dark meat - he is our Turkey Master Chef so I guess it's O.K.

Everyone else - being lazy watching football - can you guess which team?

This is my Great-Grandma Billie's FAMOUS frozen cranberry deliciousness (I am sure it has a real name but I never remember it...) It is like having a little slice of dessert with your main course. It is basically a frozen salad and we make it EVERY year. Once my mom tried to change up the menu and we all freaked because there are certain things that you only get to have but once a year!

Ahhh... Orange Rolls. Another favorite.

Here is my dad doing what we affectionately refer to as his "Marty Stewart" moment.

I know it is late but hopefully you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I have linked this on Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps on the Porch Blog.

Favorite Chef Series: Missy Chase Lapine

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned previously I love to cook my family delicious, healthy food and today I am going to introduce you to the super-star of Sneaky Chef. Missy Chase Lapine has found a way to make things like brownies (my weakness) have a healthy alter-ego! She gets me excited when she covertly healthifies Mac and Cheese. I get blown away when I make a quick and easy banana bread loaded with whole grains, fruits, veggies, and flax seed and my kids gobble it down!
Her recipes and concepts are life saving for me. I use them in everyday cooking. Missy knows her food. She was the former editor of Eating Well magazine and is also on the Culinary Arts faculty of The New School in New York City.

Basically the mission is to sneak healthy foods into our family members meals without them detecting it. For instance, she laces brownies with whole wheat, blueberries, SPINACH, and flax seed! I love these brownies, and I know brownies. It blows my mind every time I see the ingredients go in and then I take a bite of the finished product and think - "Wow! How can that combination taste so good?"

So what kind of healthy stuff are we sneaking, you ask? Only the best stuff. Things that are nutrient rich; you want to get the most bang for your buck here. So she uses purees and separates them into color because you wouldn't want your family finding out all your secrets because you used a green purée in pancakes, or you changes the texture or flavor of a dish. By making different color purees it allows you to add health to a variety of meals. She has recipes from breakfast to snack time to dinner to dessert. She also encourages that you gradually increas the amount of sneakiness each time you make a recipe so your family slowly becomes accustomed. She has five cookbooks out: The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals; The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue: 101 All-New Recipes and Sneaky Tricks for Creating Healthy Meals your Kids will Love; The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on your Man (in the Kitchen); Sneaky Fitness: Fun, Foolproof ways to Slip Fitness into your Child's Everyday Life; and The Speedy Sneaky Chef. I own two of those cookbooks and have looked through them all. They are wonderful! Go check one out from the library right now. It will change the entire way you think about cooking.

My youngest doesn't really eat meat so I divviesed a plan to purée chicken and put it in pasta sauce (which he typically loves). He doesn't see it, smell it, or taste it but eats the pasta sauce all the same and I am one happy momma!

Here are my top two favorite recipes from her cookbooks:

Brainy Brownies by Missy Chase Lapine from The Sneaky Chef: Simple strategies for hiding healthy foods in kids' favorite meals.
Nutrition Highlights: Whole Grains, Fruit, Vegetables, Rich in Vitamines A, C, E and K, potassium, manganese, folate, iron, fiber, antioxidants, and flavonoids.

Makes about 30 Kid-Sized Brownies

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Purple Puree (see recipe below)
2 Tablespoons all purpose, unbleached white flour
2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons wheat germ, unsweetened
1/4 cup rolled oats, ground in a food processor
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Butter or non-stick cooking spray
Optional extra boost: 1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter or spray only the bottom, not the sides, of a 13-by- 9-inch or 9-inch square baking pan.
Melt Butter and chocolate chips together in the microwave (checking every 15 seconds to prevent burning). Allow mixture to cool a bit. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir together the eggs, vanilla, sugar, and Purple Puree. Combine this purple egg mixture with the cooled chocolate mixture.
In a mixing bowl, stir together flours, wheat germ, cocoa powder, oats, and salt. Add this to the chocolate mixture and blend thoroughly. Mix in the chipped nuts, if using, then pour the entire mixture into the baking pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in pan before cutting the brownies and use a plastic or butter knife. Dust with powdered sugar or sprinkles, if desired.
Keeps for a week in the refrigerator, covered tightly or in the freezer wrapped tightly in plastic wrap then aluminum foil for 3 months.

Purple Puree:
Makes about 1 cup puree.
3 cups raw baby spinach leaves (or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (no syrup or sugar added)
1-2 tablespoons water

Raw baby spinach should be rinsed well, even if the package says "prewashed." If you're using frozen blueberries, give them a quick rinse under cold water to thaw a little, and then drain.
Place the spinach in the food processor first and pulse a few times. This will reduce the spinach significantly. Next add the blueberries and 1 tablespoon of water; puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to create a smooth puree.
Will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1/4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Grab 'n' Go Crispy Granola Bars by Missy Chase Lapine from The Sneaky Chef: Simple strategies for hiding healthy foods in kids' favorite meals.
Nutrition Highlights: Calcium, whole grains and nuts (optional), Rich in vitamins B2 (riboflavin), D, and E, iron, potassium, maganese, selenium, folic acid, tryptophan, calcium, protein, and fiber

Makes about 18 bars

2/3 cup rolled oats, ground in a food processor to about 1/2 cup (you can also leave these whole if you kids don't mind the look and texture of oats - in that case, just add 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup blanched, slivered almonds, ground in a food processor to about 1/3 cup (omit if allergic, and add another 1/3 cup of ground oats instead)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 cup crispy brown rice cereal (or Rice Krispies)
1 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional - in my opinion ESSENTIAL!)
Optional extra boost: 1/4 cup raisins, craisins, or dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 9-inch square or 13-by- 9-inch baking pan completely with foil and butter the foil (or spray with oil).
In a medium bowl, combine oats, almonds (if using), wheat germ, cereal, dry milk, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in the canola oil, honey, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips (and/or dried fruit, optional). Mix well, then pour into the prepared baking pan. Press down with palm of hand, evenly distributing the mixture into the corners of the dish and bake for 15-18 minutes. Check occasionally to prevent burning.
Remove from the oven and using the foil to help you, lift the giant bar out of the pan. Place on a flat surface and while still warm, cut into small bars.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze in plastic bags.

Halloween - a little late...

2012-01-19T19:56:00.000-08:00

I know I am a little behind the times on this post but for Halloween I made E. a princess dress that I designed and created. It was fun and you can tell by the looks on her face she LOVED it! It is so rewarding to see a face like that when it is in direct result of something you made for them.

So the inspiration came from one of the first scenes from Disney's Princess and the Frog, when Tiana's friend has all those princess dresses specially made for her. I drew up sketches including various details from a few of these dresses and then went to work. I used the $5 for a bolt fabric from Wal-Mart for both the pink portion and the white lining. The white tulle I just had on hand.

I wanted this dress to be something that she could continue to wear for dress up. So I made the neckline elastic for easy entry and exit. For the skirt I used 1 (doubled) layer or lining for anti-itch and to give it a solid color underneath, then added 3 doubled layers of tulle {I did the doubling because I was lazy and didn't want to hem... hehe, plus it added more pouf.} then the top pink layer which I doubled and scrunched up at the bottom and merely saftey pinned to give it that classic princess look. The top I did use this tutorial for a guide on the bodice but mostly made things up as I when along. I tried to line everything perfectly so as to not cause itchy-ness but I overlooked the elastic neck part. That was a little itchy but she loved the dress so much that she didn't care. For Halloween she wore a white shirt underneath the dress for warmth and comfort.

Oh I LOVE these faces! It makes my heart happy that she loves her princess dress so much.

E. is kissing her "prince." She loves her daddy!

For the C-man, I crocheted him a frog hat so the pair made the Princess and the Frog. They were adorable together! E. would talk for weeks before Halloween about how C-man was her "little frog prince." C-man didn't wear his hat for very long periods at a time because he didn't like the ear flaps but oh well...
You can find the link here for how I made the eyes. (I don't think I used stiff enough yarn for the eyes because they started to look more like ears - I am fairly new to crocheting.)

OOOO, He is so strong!

Daddy trying to show C-man how much fun it is to wear the froggie hat.

"Hey, is that my prince over there?"

Hopefully you enjoyed these fairy tale pictures - I know my kiddos loved their costumes.

I linked this post to the following parties:
It's So Very Cheri
Keeping it Simple

Favorite Chef Series: Ina Garten

2012-01-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine who authors a food blog and I were talking the other day about which cookbooks we like to cook from the most and we both agreed that Ina Garten's recipes are amazing. They always work, they always taste perfect, and they are usually pretty easy with fairly common ingredients (with the exception of her obsession with truffle butter and all things truffle).

Now, Ina's recipes usually start off with 2 sticks of butter so in no way am I claiming that she is a healthy chef, but, nonetheless, I do cook from her often.

I love to read her cookbooks cover to cover (which I can't say that for some chefs.) She has wonderful insights from her years spent as a caterer for Barefoot Contessa, the specialty food store in the Hamptons she owned. Her frank and simple style is refreshing! She loves France and has a wonderful cookbook dedicated to her food experiences there.

A really nice thing about her is that she is one of those Food Network Super Star Chefs so pretty much all her recipes from her cookbooks are free online - a bonus for me since I only own 3.

Her personal website Barefoot Contessa has a tips section where she goes through and reveals all the secrets of her trade and the things she uses on a day-to-day basis that make her cooking life easier. She put most of these tips in her most recent cookbook, How Easy was That? But here they are online with where she buys them.

I will leave you with a few of my favorite of her recipes that I make OVER AND OVER!

First the most amazing summer side salad, Panzanella Salad. It's an Italian dish utilizing all the delicious veggies of summer featuring homemade croutons (which are AMAZING! I recommend doubling the batch because they just disappear while being cooked). Another recommendation that isn't suggested in the actual recipe is if you plan on eating this over the course of a few days, keep the croutons separate as they will go soggy if kept with the rest of the salad - of course I have eaten it this way MANY times and it is still as delicious as ever but I just love the olive oil infused crunch that those freshly sauteed croutons bring!

Here is the recipe, now can't you just wait for summer to get here so you can whip it up?

Panzanella Recipe by Ina Garten in Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Another of her recipes that is Peter's favorite dish is the amazing Tuscan Lemon Chicken the flavor of this chicken is so bold and very lemon-y, which we LOVE. I often add about a tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar because it tastes soooo good! You can cook this over the grill (which is the best option) but during the winter months you can also roast it in the oven at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes then flip and check for doneness around 5 minutes then flip it again and broil it for like 2-4 minutes (be sure to watch it at this point!) to give it that slightly charred look of being grilled. The chicken should register 160 degrees then let it rest as directed in the recipe below.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken by Ina Garten from Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics

Ingredients

1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, flattened
Kosher salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice,garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating.

When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on 1 side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread 1/4 of the coals across the other side of the grill. Place the chicken on the cooler side, skin side up, and weigh it down with the dish you used for marinating. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

Hopefully these recipes have revealed the amazing-ness of Ina Garten. She has so many more just flat-out good recipes in all of her cookbooks and wonderful advice for entertaining. If you haven't tried her recipes yet, search for her online or go to your local library and check out her books - you won't regret it!

- Madeline

Wonderful World of Paper Mache

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have been loving all things paper lately. Paper Mache, cool art pieces made of paper,

Back in an old Martha Stewart Kids Magazine they did an article all about reusing items from your recycle bin and having your kids help you make them into fun toys - I LOVE all the ideas from the following pictures. Sadly, I have searched her site many times over and can't find the directions for how to make any of these. I am sure you can piece together the concept in your head but I can also search for my copy and see if I kept the directions and scan them in for you. Enjoy some paper mache eye candy.

How adorable would any of these be as decorations in a boys room or play space. I love how they left some of the newspaper/book pages exposed.

Meal Planning at my House

2012-01-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

So, I LOVE to cook and explore new and exciting recipes - if you didn't already know. I focus mainly on providing my family with healthy, colorful (translate: healthy), flavorful, and a wide variety of meals.
{Old picture below - but it is cute!}

When I sit down to prepare our weekly (sometimes 2 week - if I am feeling ambitious) menu I do a every other vegetarian meal schedule. My husband used to bock at this when I initially implemented it into our dinner plans saying it was a slippery slope and he won't stand for us becoming Vegans no matter how much research and convincing I do. I told him that I love a well seasoned and medium-rare slab of meat just as much as he does! Not that I don't disagree with the reason for people eating vegan, I just really like meat! I also really love chocolate and I know that it can make me fat but that doesn't stop me because I LOVE CHOCOLATE (especially good dark chocolate....)

Anyway, not only do I switch off between meat meals and vegetarian meals but I also try not to eat the same type of meat in a week. Sometimes I am not completely successful but usually we eat a chicken meal once, a beef meal once, a pork meal once, and a turkey meal once. I wish we ate fish more frequently (and I do sneak it in here and there) but my family doesn't like fish all that much and for now it tends to be out of our price range.

A typical menu looks as follows: [the V stands for Vegetarian]
Monday: Chicken with Sweet Corn and Mashed Potatoes with a Green Salad
Tuesday: Spinach and Ricotta Rolled Lasagna bake [V]
Wednesday: Cafe Rio Pork Salad (knock off recipe)
Thursday: Tai Curry Veggie Rice Bowl [V]
Friday: Mini Burgers with Yam Fries and Green Salad
Saturday: Butternut Squash Risotto with Green Salad [V]
Sunday: Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti and Cream Sauce

I love this meal plan because it accomplishes all my goals in feeding my family the healthy, colorful, flavorful, and variety that I long for. It also gives me a structure to follow so I am not constantly trying to figure out what to make for up coming meals. I can almost get an entire weeks shopping done in one trip (with the exception of a few perishables that will be eaten at the end of the week.

Our family (like I am sure yours) has our favorite stand-bys which I throw into my menu plan at least twice a month. One of those favorites is a vegetarian dish - Black Beans and Rice Your Way from Epicurious.com. (See photo above - sorry for poor quality...) It has roasted yams with a delicious black bean recipe (which in a rush I sometimes just open a can and add a little salsa and heat it in the microwave.) I have made this recipe so many times I have it memorized now and it whips together in a flash! I keep my pantry stocked with the ingredients I need so if my plans go awry I can fall back on the classic beans and rice recipe. The other benefits are that all the members of my family will eat it (or most of it, C-man pretty much just picks out the beans) and it is SUPER cheap! Dried beans, rice, yams, cilantro, and limes... Hello, can you make something so healthy and delicious for dirt cheap? I submit that you cannot! It really is a pity that Americans don't eat more beans and rice (without a tortilla) like many countries throughout the world - it is so delicious and good for you. A friend of mine who lived among people native to various South American regions turned me on to the concept of eating just beans and rice! I will forever be grateful to her!

I will continue this discussion along with some of my favorite recipes, cookware, apps, and chefs/cookbooks in future posts. Until then, where do you get your favorite recipes? How does meal planning go in your house?

Back to Blogging and some New Year Goals

2012-01-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very consistent for the last year... (ok, years) in keeping up this blog - and for my family members who want to see more pictures of my kiddos, I am sorry. And for those of you who follow this blog for other reasons, I am here to announce one of my goals for this year of 2012 that I would like to begin blogging more consistently as a way to express my creativity, work on my writing skills and potentially utilize this as a networking avenue for future endeavors that I am slowly pursuing.

I have many passions and hobbies that I love to share with my friends in the flesh, so why not my internet friends who aren't close by - I am excited to share with you too! I may be putting things under construction as I purge, refresh, and renew this blog and others to better accommodate the two completely different types of readers I have. I will be keeping you updated through the entire process.

I can't wait to get better connected with all those out in the blogging world!

Here are a few of my New Year Goals for 2012:
- Have a more creative year - daily sketch book entry, periodic art observation (museums, art books, and architecture, and nature.), and blogging at least weekly (hopefully more than that!)
- Share my love of all things creative with my children by providing art projects, sensory development activities, and interacting with my through my goal to be more creative.
- Do something profitable with my creativity. (I have a few ideas in the works but nothing set in stone yet.)
- Keep my 4 times a week work-out schedule (It feels so good to be fit!)
- Become a better listener.
- Increase my spirituality through a more intensive scripture study, twice-monthly temple attendance, and developing a better connection with my Savior by better applying his atonement and more personal daily prayers.

What are your goals for the new year?

Best wishes ~

Madeline

Thanksgiving and Christmas Table Setting Sneak Peek

2011-11-12T20:57:00.001-08:00

Here is a little sneak peek of what my Mom and I have been working on for a cooking group we belong to in our neighborhood. We were assigned to come up with table setting ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas - I think you will love what we have come up with!
Hope you enjoy and I will post more full pics after we host our cooking group so stay tuned!

Our Family this Fall - an update in pictures

2011-10-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of us and the kids that we have taken recently:
Camping trip we took - first one for Cal-man.

A hat I made for Ella - pattern from Izzy and Ivy.

The kids at a corn maze.

I love Ella's face in this one.

Up in the mountains to see the fall leaves during General Conference.

Peter making Hungarian Chimney Cakes - so DELICIOUS!

Another trip to the mountains to see the fall leaves.

A trip we took today to the neighborhood pumpkin patch. We all had such a good time and got some awesome pumpkins!

Hope your fall is fantastic!

My Sis has a CUPCAKERY!

2011-10-14T23:21:00.001-07:00

Holy Cow, my little sister just started up her very own Cupcakery! I did all her graphic design work for her blog and all her photography - it is so exciting to see how excited she is about this new endeavor. I just cant wait till the orders start rollin' in and she is busy, busy, busy! She has a booth set up at an open house for the Extreme Home Makeover house who is hosting the open house to raise money for Make-a-Wish foundation, if you are in the South Jordan, UT area, you should come try her cupcakes, they will only be $0.75. Super good deal considering that you can order them on her site for $1.50. Go to her blog, Emmy-Sue's Cupcakery and give her a shout out for me!

Halloween Banners for Sale!!!

2011-09-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

My mom and I have been very busy creating these fantastic Halloween banners. All the banners are made with glitter, vintage accompaniments, and many other frills like feathers, fun trims, and all sorts of ribbons and papers. They are the perfect addition to any Halloween decor or party. We had so much fun adding each detail and hope you will enjoy its beauty as it hangs in your home.

All the banners pictured are for sale on Etsy in my mom's shop, Itty Bitty Booties.

Enjoy some Halloween eye candy!

Father's Day Video

2011-06-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the video I made for my Dad for Father's Day. I think it turned out pretty well. The music seems kind of funny with the pictures but I just figured that I am my "Daddy's Little Girl" and he would rather look at pics of my cute kids than a million of me just doing random/silly poses. I would have done a bunch of pics of my sister and I when we were younger, however I don't have easy access to those pictures (just my little disclosure...)

Great Idea for Fathers Day

2011-06-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a little birthday greeting I put together for my Father-in-law and I thought it would be a great last-minute greeting for a Father's day present whether they be a grandpa or a dad. Animoto's 30 second videos are free to make too!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Summary of our life currently in pictures

2011-06-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

Whereas I don't have much time to write here are a few pictures to depict what we have been up to lately.

Hopefully you are enjoy life to its fullest and making sure what matters most is what comes first.

Chair Re-do

2011-02-16T21:28:00.001-08:00

Working on another re-upholstery project over here - these chairs I recovered right before Ella was born (2 years ago!) and they were getting hammered with little ones spilling, climbing, and causing all sorts of ruckus on them.

I was also getting bored with the tiny houndstooth print that was on them. It just wasn't bold enough for me. Here is the before pic - if you look closely you can see the big stain on the center/back of the seat... not attractive.

So I saw this cool plastic coated fabric at Ikea and thought, of course! that would be perfect for my dining room chairs because it will just wipe clean! It had to be pretty sturdy too and it comes in this awesome bright red and white polka-dot! Bold, sturdy, and wipeable! What more could I ask for!

Unfortunately it was a little pricier than I was hoping. But still all the things I was looking for and only $9/yd home dec width too! not too bad. I bought 2 yards and have almost a half-yard leftover. I am pleased.

Now I just have to figure out whether I want to paint the chairs black or white.... What do you think?

The Toddler Busy Book

2011-02-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

Here is the book I was telling you about! The Toddler Busy Book by Trish Kuffner. This has been an incredible resource for me lately as well as the Brightly Beaming site. When we just want to have a day of fun or if I am improvising our pre-preschool activities - this has been my GO - TO book!

As proof, the other night we went to dinner with a bunch of family (it was a fairly loud and kid friendly environment - not your nice sit down dinner) and I brought along a "Busy Bag" as described in The Toddler's Busy Book for Ella while we waited for our food and once she finished. - - Side note, she is a much picker eater all of the sudden and so doesn't eat much of anything we give her except oatmeal and ice cream (if she is lucky....) - -

The busy bag was amazing! I had a bunch of different things for her to do so when she would get bored of one thing we would put that away and bring out the next. We had stuff like a sticker book (I had to help her with that a little), crayons and drawing paper, a special toy or two, a play cell phone, a small metal pan with a bunch of magnets, and some snacks. In the book, Trish gives a bunch more ideas of things you can bring along to keep the little ones occupied. I had made Ella a monster tote for Christmas that has crayon teeth (I got the idea from crafster) so I use that as her busy bag.

The book is also loaded with recipes for playdough, glitter (made out of salt!), different kinds of glue and adhesives, and clay. Ella has really gotten into painting and this book even has a recipe on how to make your own paint. It has been so fun to finally do crafts with Ella that she can participate in.

*I know this post is all about Ella and the pictures are all Calvin, I didn't have any of Ella doing her art projects so I thought I would entertain you with these pics of the cute man!

Pre-Preschool!

2011-02-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

A neighbor and I got together and decided that we wanted to do some sort of "Joy" school curriculum for our almost 2 year olds. We didn't want to pay for something but also didn't want to have to make everything up completely from scratch so I did some web searching and we found this Brightly Beaming Resources website fully dedicated to curriculums to be taught in the home for all different ages. (Now I have a lot of respect for people who have the ability to actually homeschool their children because I just don't think I will have the patience for that.) Whereas I don't plan on homeschooling I do find this resource great for supplemental teaching ideas aside from their outside schooling.

*This picture is from my friend's blog, when they had school at her house.

We have done so many fun activities and crafts, games, and been introduced to new stories and rhymes. I also love that she suggests some classical music to accompany the lesson (in the Brightly Beaming Toddler Curriculum). I have been combining the Brightly Beaming Toddler and the Preparatory Curriculum because I like aspects of both. It is also been fun to improvise now that I have a good base of how a curriculum is set up.

Like this last week we had a different little girl over and we did a Valentines themed day where we made a Valentine Card by stamping our thumb prints onto paper in the shape of a heart. We made tissue paper flower bouquets, learned some new Valentines day songs (like 10 little Valentines to the tune of 10 little indians), danced to Vivaldi's Concerto for Viola D'amore, and read some fun books with a love theme. One of the poems we read was about someone who had left valentines for the birds so we went outside and sprinkled bird seed around. We also learned about our hearts, the heart shape, the letter H (because it begins the word heart), and had heart shaped treats! All-natural Jello Heart cut-outs and cupcakes with pink frosting served with pink tinted milk!

Before doing the school with Ella I was going crazy with this little toddler who just wants to go, go, go on my hands. I knew she was so intelligent and had such a thirst for learning I just didn't quite know how to fulfill those needs. Now it is nice because once a week she goes to our neighbors house and she puts on school activities for them and then once a week her little boy comes to our house and we have school here. The other days I am not as structured with the lesson plans but I interject little school activities that have to do with that week's theme wherever I can.

More so than a stress it relieves my stress and Ella LOVES it! I also get a free morning to get some grocery shopping done without her, clean my house, or take a nap!

If you are a mom or know a mom who has a toddler they are having a hard time keeping entertained, send them to the Brightly Beaming Site, it will help even if in just the smallest way!

I will do another post soon about a great toddler activity book I just found at the library - it's fantastic!

The Overhaul!

2010-11-17T19:35:00.000-08:00

Here is the promised post that I said would come! And for all of you coming over from my mom's blog, The Style Sisters, Hello and sorry I left you hanging on this one...

It has been slightly cloudy lately here and so not ideal for taking pictures. But earlier today the light was perfect and my children were sleeping (and my house was CLEAN!) so I snapped a few shots and am now so excited to share these with you!

So I got this couch from a garage sale for $30! I know highway robbery! It was at the end and so they pretty much just wanted me to get rid of it for them. The couch was in very good condition and so there it sat in my living room, untouched for the next year and a half. I had the high hopes of one day reupholstering it so that it would better fit in with my decor but I had two children and very little time left for such an endeavor.

My mom came for a visit earlier this month and one evening while my husband watched the kids we went out for a girls shopping trip (not to buy, just to look...). Well we drove past this $2 fabric store where I live that I had totally forgotten about! My mom saw it and said, "Lets go in and see if they have any fabric to cover your couch with!"

I was hesitant because I didn't have the money to spend on such a project (nor the time, still). Alas we went in and nothing really struck me at first. Then we found this fabulous black denim fabric at only $3.99 a yard!!! We figured out that we only needed 6 yards so basically $24! Seriously, that is it! And truth be told, because it wasn't a patterned fabric we didn't even need that much! We brought it home and washed it (had a little trouble with the correct amount of fabric, the store gave us the wrong bolt with 3 yards when we needed - and paid for - 6 yards!)

The trim was the only thing left to decide on. We looked around and finally came to the conclusion that we would just make our own! At Hobby Lobby we found this adorable white with small black polka dot fabric and some cording and snatched it up!

With my husband to help be the manly one and rip out staples and unscrew really hard screws we went to work disassembling the old to ring in the new!

I had some old white paint laying around that I had picked up at ReStore from Habitat for Humanity so we sanded and then slapped that on the wood (about 4 coats). Then commenced upon the fabric. It all went together fairly well with only a few hitches here and there. We did our best to take as many pictures of the deconstruction process as possible to aid in the ease of reassembly.

We got it all put back together but I still didn't have a sewing machine so we couldn't make the trim. The night that machine did get here though, I whipped the trim together and the next night Peter and I hot glued it on! I must say, it looks FABULOUS!

Once Christmas is over I will be making some cute new pillows to adorn the beauty!

I hope you all like it! Our hands were pretty sore from ripping out the 5 million staples! (ok that might be an exaggeration....)

This post is participating in Transformation Thursdays over at The Shabby Chic Cottage, Piece of Work Wednesdays at Primitive and Proper, Hookin' up with HoH over at House of Hepworths, The Under $100 Linky Party at Beyond the Picket Fence, Costal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, and my mom has done a post about this transformation too (with some super style pictures!)

My New Workhorse!

2010-11-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

Yeah Yeah Yeah!!! I was in the middle of a HUGE project (post to come later today regarding that fantastic project!) when my old sewing machine, bit it. Doesn't this always seem to happen right at the most inopportune moments? I had been researching sewing machines for a couple weeks prior to this happening and had come to decide that I just couldn't spend $400 on a new machine so after readjusting my sights I found this little beauty, the Brother CE 5500 PRW Limited Edition. I liked the features and after looking at the step up from this machine (which my mom owns) I realized that I don't quilt and so thus don't need a machine that offers that. So I decided not to pay the extra $40 to have that machine.

I finally found the perfect price on Overstock.com (plus a 2 year warranty!) and it was mine! Here are some goofy pics of me opening the box right after it arrived!

Here is a cute pic of the second project I finished on the machine (like I said above, first project will be posted later today!).

This little piggy is a Christmas present for my little man, Calvin!

I got the pattern from Martha Stewart (you can get the pattern by clicking here.) The project was easy enough, I think I finished the whole thing in about 2 hours. It would have taken less time than that but I had issues with my printer/copier trying to enlarge the pattern image.

Bloglight: Givers Log

2010-11-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hopefully all of you are on the road to getting ready for the impending holiday season but if you needed that extra push to get things started, go check out this gals blog!

I have bookmarked her site because of all the wonderful gift giving and wrapping ideas she has (along with fantastic recipes and other fun little tidbits!)

Her holiday organizer is genius! And she so lovingly shares it with everyone!

This blog has been one of my #1 go-to resources for this holiday season of giving. Hopefully you will find it as useful as I have!

*all photos are from the blog, giverslog.

Ella's ABC's!

2010-10-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

She really has these down well now! She practices them every time we go in the car. She has a little phone that when you press a certain button it sings the ABC's so she sings along and now has it pretty much memorized. WOW @ 19 months old!!!

Recent Complaints...

2010-10-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

There have been recent complaints regarding this blog of which have been brought to my attention. Apparently the complainer has deemed that there is not enough pictures/posts regarding my own children. This complainer would have a right to demand such things seeing as he is my children's uncle.

Life just gets so busy when you have two munchkins running around all the time. I feel like I hardly have time to take a breath. It's fun and exciting but all that leaves no time for blogging or really much of anything (including cleaning the house!)

As I sit here now I survey the damage from a days destruction and think, will my house ever be clean again? Perhaps not, but nonetheless, I am happy with the cause of the destruction.

One thing to be greatful for is that while we were out of town visiting some family, a wonderful little fairy (who has been staying with us off and on for a few weeks now) whipped the house back into beautiful shape, better than it has seen in months! This sweet fairy also left little love notes around the house saying things like, "Auntie 'Abolie' loves you so much Ella!" and "Love you Cal-man!" and other such sayings. What a fantastic surprise to come home to!

Anyways, to satisfy the demands of the complainer here are some pictures of the Cal and a few notes regarding them.

I will start with this one, I almost fear this picture because it seeims as though Calvin is living up a little too well to whom Peter claims is his name-sake, Calvin and Hobbes (I would completely argue with Peter in that we did not name him after the cartoon but that is another story...)The rest of these are just my adorable little man. He just warms my heart with cuteness!

Hopefully this qualifies as a post that meets the standards of the complainer (as I have so lovingly deemed him...) I will get some of Ella up here soon, probably some video of her hilarious jibber jabber that is never ending!

Bloglight: Ohdeedoh

2010-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with our first, I really wanted to make her nursery something to learn, grow, and enjoy! I had some vauge ideas in my head like, "I know babies are very attracted to black and white images and it allows them to learn best when they are tiny", and "I would like to semi stick with the turquoise, red, black, and white theme that runs through out my house", and "I LOVE the idea of bright colors mainly primary colors in a child's room as it seems to lend itself to learning!".

All these ideas but no where to really channel them or get some solid inspiration. Until I happened upon this site! Ohdeedoh (don't ask me how you pronounce that...) provided me just the inspiration I was looking for. It was real people featuring real nurseries! Not the completely unrealistic ones you often see in magazines that no young family with small children could do, let alone afford. {Although, often times those who have submitted pictures of their nurseries end up looking so amazing that they belong in a magazine!}

Ohdeedoh is a part of the Apartment Therapy (which needs to be a bloglight all in its self) group of blogs; so they are up-to-date, eco-friendly, often small space friendly, and Ohdeedoh takes care of their kid-friendly section!

They do room tours that parents have submitted with a bunch of pictures and show you all the beauty and great ideas there are to be had out there! Here is a pic of one of my favorite! See the whole post by clicking here.

This site isn't just one persons contributions its a myriad of people all with different takes on things. They also review products for kids, babies, and parents. That is where I found my AWESOME diaper bag. (Skip Hop Duo Deluxe Edition) Click here to see what Ohdeedoh had to say about it.

Not only that but you can e-mail them with questions about where to find things or if "such-and-such" brand is good, or safe and they will often post your question on the blog with their two cents as well as open up the comments for discussion! How awesome is that! Remember when you were told in the hospital that they didn't make an instruction manual for you child, well, Ohdeedoh does take care of instructing you on all the hottest, latest, and safest items to help you raise your child!

If you have children, grandchildren, or just know someone with children; you should check out Ohdeedoh for their fabulous ideas, delicious eye candy, and sensible solutions! And, let me know in the comments how much you LOVE Ohdeedoh!

All photographs from Ohdeedoh.

Iron Gate Flea Market

2010-09-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hello all who will be attending the St. George Marathon. There will be a flea market held in Veyo, Utah (30 miles north of St. George near the starting line of the marathon) on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of next week.

I will have a booth there with handmade items: Christmas ornaments, hair accessories, and original pieces of mixed media art. I can't wait to see you all there!

Please stop by and say hello if you decide to come! I would love to meet you.

P.S. I did the graphic design for the flea market flyer (shown above)! I am pretty pleased with how it turned out and I have also started working on updating my mom's blog. If any of you are interested in a blog up-date or any graphic design work, please let me know and I can give you a free bid!

Bloglight: What I Wore

2010-09-03T22:49:00.000-07:00

So since I just did a post about fashionand wearing beautiful vintage inspired fall clothing I just had to share with you this fabulous blogger Jessica Schroeder soon to be (or maybe already is...) Jessica Quirk from What I Wore.

She is a fashion blogger and the concept is pretty simple, she has her fiance take a picture of her outfit everyday and then she posts about why she picked out those items, why the pieces work together, where she wore it and where she bought it.

Jessica has the most adorable sense of style and a true individualist mentality. She is what I have always wanted to be in terms of fashion. Doesn't every woman dream of having their perfect, definable fashion? Unlike anyone else and so exact and perfect that every item of clothing that you own just screams: MADELINE! Not, TARGET! I guess I need to start scouring thrift stores more often and only spending money on pieces that are, ME!

Jessica also has a book coming out soon too. Check her blog to see details on that.

These are a few of my favorite outfits from her blog. Be sure to go check her out and soak in as much of her style as you can because, it is gorgeous!

The Golden Years

2010-09-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Fall is almost upon us and I have been dreaming of getting to wear my fall/winter clothes for 2 years now! I have been pregnant for the last two winters and so have not been able to fit into my fall/winter clothes!!! This fact seriously bums me out because I LOVE FALL/WINTER CLOTHES! I love the textures, layers, and just warm fuzzy feeling of it all. I have been gearing up and getting super excited for this season and so I thought I would share a few pics of fashion inspiration with you all.

I love to look at clothing retailers websites or catalogues and glean ideas from they way they have their models styled. One of my most recent droolings were these pictures from Anthropologie. They took us back to those feminine, flattering years of the 40's and 50's when the women had waistlines and wore red lipstick everyday! I do love their more modern take on these fashions though.

In the picture below they have paired a mens blazer with a beautiful blouse and bold printed skirt. To give it that throw back look they belted it which gives the silhouette a boost! I must say I LOVE her hair too!

Here is more gorgeousness: Again taking a blazer and a pretty blouse, belting it to give the waistline and then paring the whole bit with jeans. The puffy sleeve gives a feminine touch as does the floral blouse. Got to love that look!

From Anthro's more recent collection, I LOVE this wool plaid skirt that they have played a fun twist on!

And I will always love asymmetrical buttons on things and here is this beautiful skirt! I must try this out!

If you are on the hunt for some perfect dresses from the Golden Years you must know about Shabby Apple! I can't get over their designers perfect replica of some of the most beautiful old fashion looking dresses. I wish I could be a designer for them (or at least a fly on the wall when they are in their design process....)

Here is some eye candy for you...

Can I just say that the dress below, I am in utter love with! This is the dress I have been searching for all my life!!! When I was a senior in high school I discovered Audrey Hepburn (for ultimate style icon she really is) and in doing so began a search for clothing like hers. Alas, the 80's looks were super big then so I had a pretty difficult time finding things (in my price range too...) then all of the sudden things of that era started popping up everywhere! Of course we are now getting ready for Peter to attend school so we are pinching every penny that comes our way :'(. So if there are any designers that would like to send me a sample of their clothing to test out I would be happy to oblige... hehe.

Well hopefully you have had as much fun swooning over these georgeous dresses and ensembles as I have... until next time.

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for...." CHALKBOARD PAINT!!

2010-08-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

I can't even tell you how much I LOVE chalkboard paint!!! So here is my post dedicated to all things I love painted with chalkboard paint (which could be just about ANYTHING... just wait and see!)

First what has really gotten me on this chalkboard frenzy was that I went to a Pottery Barn Kids decorating class on Saturday and they showed and awesome idea for using an old (possibly out dated) world globe and painting it with chalkboard paint! It looks so fantastic! (shown on top of the desk on the left)

Now don't get me wrong, I am not just barely jumping on the chalkboard paint bandwagon, I have been loving this stuff for years now. I painted (what I think used to be a small ironing board closet) the front of the before said closet door with chalkboard paint in the first apartment Peter and I lived in. It was right in my kitchen so it looked adorable - however I don't think I have a picture to show you :(

But here is an idea that has been around for a while, painting the inside portion of a plate or platter with the chalkboard paint and hanging it in your kitchen or dining area for a fun twist on traditional hanging serve ware. "Bon Appetite!"

Another brilliant idea I just saw in the newest Crate & Barrel catalogue were these chalkboard painted russian nesting dolls!! I am on the hunt for a set of these that I can paint!!

Anthropologie has been doing a TON with chalkboard paint lately. In fact, their entire home section out of their last catalogue had all chalkboard walls and floors. It looked so cool! Here is some eye candy from that!

Even Martha Stewart is in on things - here she shows you how to make a chalkboard calendar. Its awesome! It also shows you how to make your own COLORED chalkboard paint!

Oh here is this creative lady over at Outside the Box who created these chalkboard labels using stuff she found at the dollar store. It would be pretty easy to use masking tape and tape off a small area on your jar then fill in with chalkboard paint too. (that is a more permanent approach though...)

If you just do a google image search for Chalkboard Paint you can find an endless supply of ideas for the stuff - speaking of here is one of my favorite finds from that approach! An entire kitchen painted with Chalkboard Paint! I would love to do something like this one day! Renting is getting so annoying!

Well I hope you enjoyed this trip down chalkboard lane. Hopefully this gives you a bit of inspiration to grab a spray can or basic paint can of chalkboard paint and go WILD!

Best of luck and show me your finished projects!

Bloglight: Made by Lex or My Mama Made It

2010-08-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this woman. She inspires me. There was a post where she was talking about how she used to buy all her girls' clothes but now their closet is mostly full of clothes that she has made for them! That is my dream!

I just got a new book that will hopefully help me towards achieving that goal - I will have to post about that as well as the past sewing projects I have done for the kids another time but for now I want to focus on Lex!

She has her own Etsy shop where she sells her custom made clothing which is all beautiful and very unique! She also has beyond fantastic tutorials on her blog for creating some of the things she has made.

Honestly, when I need a good dose of inspiration and motivation to get sewing again, I go to Lex's site. One of my favorite tutorials (that I actually found time to do myself...) was her cashmere scarf refashion.She took a men's cashmere sweater she found at her thrift store and made it into this gorgeous ruffling scarf.

All of the above pictures from Lex @ Made by Lex.

I made one for my daughter as well as for some other girls on my Christmas list last year. (although I couldn't find a cashmere sweater at my thrift store so I just used a wool blend of some-sort.)

Hopefully you enjoy creating and learning from Lex and all her wonderful talent! As always, let me know in the comments if you try out one of her tutorials!

Baking with Ella: Everything but the Kitchen Sink Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-07-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

So everyone I have ever made these cookies for has asked for the recipe (except for my husband who just tells me that he is craving my cookies and really, really wants me to make them for him.) I must say, they are delicious and I won't tell you how many I have eaten in one setting before...

These are not the kind of cookies you can take to school for your child's class (way too many allergen risks). But these are the kind of cookies that you want to bake and then sit down and eat the entire pan with a tall glass of milk about 3 minutes after they have come out of the oven, when the chocolate is still gooey and the cookies soft and delicious (not that I have done that before!)

Anyways, now that I have your mouth watering... Here is my little chef, Ella helping me whip a batch of these together. These have a few secret ingredients and it seems that I play with the amounts each time I make it depending on what flavor I am craving the most at that moment. They are inspired from a SUPER delicious bakery close to our house called Rich's Bagels. "A bagel place known for its cookies?", you ask... FOR SURE! They are loaded with all sorts of goodness and they are gigantic! This is one of the few times where the saying, "Less is More" DOESN'T apply!!!

Madeline's Everything but the Kitchen Sink Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2T. ground flax seed

6T. water

4 tsp. vanilla

2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (the better quality chocolate the better tasting your cookies will be)

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup nuts

1 cup corn flakes, lightly crushed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine water and flax in a small bowl and let sit for about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a large mixer bowl), cream butter with sugars. Add flax and water mixture then add vanilla. Gradually add dry mixture to the creamed mixture. With a rubber spatula add the remaining 5 ingredients one at a time mixing to combine.

Drop approx. 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie on to an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly - ENJOY!

*Side note 1: You can adapt any chocolate chip cookie recipe to fit this, I usually just use whatever the recipe is on the back of the bag of chocolate chips I am using (add about 1/4 cup extra flour, 2 tsp. extra vanilla, and then the oats, coconut, nuts, and cereal as directed above.

** Side note 2: when I make these cookies for Ella to eat I usually omit the nuts (although we have tried her on tree nuts and she does fine so now I don't omit them for her.

*** Side note 3: Most people look at me crazy when I tell them there is cereal in my cookies but it really adds something so uniquely delicious that you should really try it just once if your skeptical!

So, the secret is out. My cookies can now be mass produced by all you cookie lovers out there. Just let me know how you enjoy them! Oh and for payment, I will accpet bags of Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips... just kidding.

Ella keeps on growing - and Cal is getting cuter by the day!

2010-07-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots I took of the kids the other day on our walk. Enjoy!

Bloglight: How About Orange

2010-07-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Jessica Jones is a fabric designer, graphic designer, and blogger extrodinare! I swear she finds everything there is to care about on the web and posts it on her blog. I find myself going to her site time after time and scouring through her "Time Wasters" and "DIY Tutorials" and bookmarking page after page!

Jessica's blog, How About Orange is mostly about her obsession with the color orange and she is constantly on the look out for how to use that fabulous color all around your house. Like this cute little orange tissue box cover - what a fun pop to something so congested.

Also, right now she is hosting a giveaway for UPrinting.com! Free canvas print as well as free business cards! Go check it out!!!!

Here is an exceprt from her FAQ section of her blog that I really thought embodied her site well: "What's fun about blogging? Doesn't it waste hours and hours of time?

You betcha. But even though it takes some time, it's fun to post things that might be helpful to people. I used to have "Girls' Nights" at my house weekly, and I'd invite non-arty buddies over and suggest some kind of project to make. I loved seeing how proud people were when they liked what they'd made. Everybody has creativity inside somewhere, and it's gratifying to help people tap into it—especially if they don't consider themselves artistic or creative. So I try to post simple projects that anyone could do, as well as useful tips or inspiring ideas or things that are delightful. Pretty much anything that's fun."

Hopefully you enjoy your time over at How About Orange as much as I do. Also if you try any of her projects that she suggests I would love for you to leave a link in the comments so we can all see how amazing YOU are!

All pictures from Jessica's blog, How About Orange.

Tight Quarters Part 2

2010-07-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

One of my greatest achievements of this apartment. My office! This comes from quite a few sources of inspiration.

The month before the big move I was living at my in-laws while Peter was living in our new town so I went through all my old magazines (which was a TON!) and tore out pages that I had interest in and have put them into binders - Living Room/Mantel Scapes/Entry, Bedroom/Bathroom, Laundry/Garage/Organizational ideas, Gardening/Outdoor Living, Crafting/Gifting Ideas/Misc. In doing this I was able to find a TON of great ideas for my new home.

I created a notebook of the tear-outs that I had gathered, the floor plan on graph paper and any "To Buy" items so that I had everything in once place.

Here are a few pics of my inspiration:

Ikea.com

Real Simple.com

Here is my finished product!

Don't you love the organization and functionality of this space! It is just a small corner cut out of my living room/dining area. It doesn't take up too much space and actually utilizes an area that would have otherwise remained a dead space (the area in front of the stationary part of the sliding glass door.) It gives my desk space a great view and a place where I can work and keep an eye on Ella at the same time.

I used beautiful containers for my pens and pencils because I wanted the space to still look beautiful as a part of my living room but also continue to function as a workable office space. Look around your house for things (votive holders or the large ball shaped container was a tea light candle holder I bought on after-Christmas clearance at Khols!) that are beautiful that could also function in your office, giving you a space to allow those creative juices to roll!

Here I used my paperback novels to add some texture and age to this shelf. Its all the little random-ness that really makes this space feel and look great!

I found this little baking pan at a garage sale a while ago and it works in perfectly with the feel of the office!

Please show off your beautifully organized spaces in your home by leaving a link in the comments!

Linking this post to Show and Tell Friday

Loving Life

2010-06-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

At first Ella didn't know what to do with the loud noise of a racquetball court. Then, she went nuts and loved it. My little racquetball girl!
I have recently changed my name to Master Mechanic. Ella was asleep in the car (first time ever I think) and I built a pillow out of the diaper pad, and my scriptures.
If you find two cuter kids anywhere, please let me know because I won't believe you. They have the same shaped head and little to no hair! So cute!!!
Calvin just found out that he can smile and let me tell you what, ladies, watch out 'cause he's coming!

After swimming, we went to look at the little ducklings and feed them graham crackers. Ella thought she was the one who should be fed but she shared grudgingly with the ducks.

Peter post-The Festival

2010-06-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is Ella's first taste of rootbeer...the crazy thing is she wouldn't leave me alone after that! She kept begging for more, but every time I would give her some she would make this face. It was worth it!
We went to a festival yesterday with some friends and I sat Ella in the swing. I wasn't trying to take the pictures this close to her face but they turned out HILARIOUS! How much G-force do they put on those swings??
We got on a bus that had nothing but African drums in it. We would start a beat and everyone would join in. That's my kind of school bus...no seats, just drums.
Ella and Miles loved the bubble machine.

World Cup is here!

2010-06-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

Ella's most recent word is "soccer". I get the feeling she is loving the World Cup as much as I am. The theme song is seriously amazing and her dancing is even more amazing.

Baking with Ella

2010-06-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

The other day Ella and I had some "big girl" time in the kitchen. I really wanted to make some blackberry muffins with the blackberries that were about to go bad in my fridge but I didn't want to neglect Ella in the process and just have her play on her own then I would get frustrated when she came into the kitchen and tried to play with me. So in order to get done what I wanted to do and include her in the process, I slapped an apron on us both and pulled a chair into the kitchen counter and we got to baking.

This is the first time Ella has helped me in the kitchen for real (I have given her an empty bowl and a wooden spoon many times so she can pretend to help) and she did a great job! I put all the ingredients on the opposite counter (out of her reach). My kitchen is so small that it really worked well.

We maybe did a little taste-testing but you are never a "good" chef unless you taste test what you are creating!

Ella got a little anxious while we waited for the muffins to cook so I had to distract her by pushing her around on the tricycle Grandma & Grandpa A. got her. She was so excited once the muffins were done though!

Mr. C. was slightly impatient too - he wanted his breakfast. Ella and I had to keep "checking on" him throughout our baking process so it took a little longer than planned but we kept telling him, "Just hang on Cal, we are baking."

MMMMMMM, delicious! I must say they were quite good! Thanks to the wonderful chef over at Nook & Pantry for the great Blackberry Muffin Recipe. We made our subsitutions though... I just recently learned that you can use 1 TBL. Ground Flaxseed + 3 TBLS. Water as a subsitute for 1 egg! We tried it out and it was magnificent! I love the nutty undertone that flaxseed gave these fruity muffins! I suggest you try it out for yourself!

Check back for further installments of "Baking with Ella" as Ella and I explore the inner-workings of baking with a toddler!

2010-06-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

And here's big man Calvin! I'll let Madeline take credit for the picture on the right. I can't quite tell if he looks like a girl or a train conductor with that hat on. In my humble opinion, he's a good looking kid. Somehow, somebody switched our children's looks around in heaven because Ella looks like me, white skin and all, and Calvin looks like Madeline, dark hair, dark skin... Yet we are finding that Ella acts like her mother (not very snugly ((I'm trying to break her of that:)) and very strong willed!), and Calvin is just like his father (very snugly, dramatic, emotional...etc. I accept my feminine role in the family. I knew she wore the pants since the day we got married) Anyway, back to Calvin. He looked like an old man as a child and he spits up like crazy!

Ella absolutelyloves her miniature table:) She loves to take empty bowls, cups and plates and pretend that we are eating a feast...how can a dad like me ever compete with that cuteness? (Ella, "Dad, I want a new bike." Me, "Aaaas Yoooouuu WIIISH!")

Peter's blogging now...

2010-06-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Since Madeline and I have moved to "the city" we like to take drives with the kids. Really, the kids sleep and we look at all the pretty houses and the mountains. On our drive today, we saw the most enormous house in the entire world. We call it the Beauty and the Beast Castle... Here's why,

This is a picture of an LDS temple, it has a great view of the valley below.

We made friends with a very nice family, Alvin, Laura and their son Miles. Miles was born about an HOUR before Ella and they have gotten along quite nicely...notice that Miles is already giving his lady flowers

Flashback - Easter

2010-05-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

So I never got these pictures posted in a timely manner (mainly due to the move and the pregnancy/childbirth) but here are some cute shots of our Easter weekend going to the park with Ella and doing a little easter egg hunt for her @ her grandparents house.

Hope you enjoy these and her adorable face!

Moving...again - - Tight Quarters Part 1

2010-05-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

So we moved again. This time it was across state (and a week after I gave birth!!!) Most everyone told me I was crazy and I just let it pass in one ear and out the other. Hubby said it was time to move and so, I said, "Okay!" (After a lot of weighing the pros and cons, payer, etc...) Peter got a job in our new town and that caused him to move a month earlier than the rest of us, so for the last month of my pregnancy we only saw each other on the weekends - it was HARD!

Here is a pic of the Cal-man on the drive up. He did so well, slept most of the way only waking to eat. It was somewhat of a painful drive for me because my milk had come in - hard core. Ouch!

I hadn't seen the apartment in person, just through pictures Peter sent from his phone and the stock photos on the complex's website. We were downsizing from a 3 bdrm to a 2 bdrm, so I was a little nervous on how we were going to get everything to fit. I had been seriously planning out the space prior to the move but space seems to disappear when you actually get stuff in there.

Ella and her Daddy, going on a walk in the rain in our new neighborhood.

I really love how this picture turned out (even though it didn't really turn out...)

When we arrived to our new home, I walked in to glance at the apartment completely empty and then had to walk out to sit in the car and feed Calvin. When I finished feeding, all the boxes and furniture had been moved into the house - it was PACKED and there was hardly any walking space, let alone standing space for the 8 adults who were there to help unpack. Having just had a baby, being sore with much excess milk, the stress of moving, and then walking in to see a sea of boxes in my living room and feeling the weight of all the ready hands of those waiting to be told where to put things - I nearly collapsed. I did my best to keep my cool (although those who helped move in - specifically my darling husband) would tell you that I was - um, edgy. I honestly don't know how I did it or how I am still doing it but once the house got pulled together -- all thanks to my most AMAZING parents who are incredibly skilled in organizing, DIYing, and just ingenuitious-ness -- my life seemed to de-stress.

Although the place is small we were able to come up with some fantastic ways to utilize the space we had. I will post our ideas in the following posts to help inspire those of you living in tight quarters.

I did have to post these pics of Ella on her new patio furniture that Grandma got for her. She is such a crack up...

Calvin's First Photoshoot - In the hospital

2010-05-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

Here are just a couple of shots I snapped during Calvin's first day alive. These were taken in my hospital room using bed sheets as a backdrop or the green wall - so they aren't anything to gawk over.

Such a cute little guy! He has already changed a ton and is getting more handsome as the days go by.

I did another quick photoshoot of him a few days ago so I will try to get those posted asap...

A Day at the Zoo!

2010-05-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

Peter and I decided that it would be a great investment if we purchased ourselves annual zoo passes because Ella LOVES animals! So today, being beautiful and warm, we took a Zoo day. (Along with probably 5,000 other people...)

It was fantastic! We saw monkeys, elephants (even a baby one!), giraffes, tigers, a rhino, and Ella even managed to get a peacock to squawk right in her face to which she burst out in tears and we had to run away from the peacock for her to be happy again.

Ella almost had more fun pushing the stroller (that she was supposed to be riding in) around the whole park. She liked the animals but I think the whole experience was a lot to take in all at once and so the animals weren't of utmost importance. She wanted to push the stroller and find anyone else's stroller she could push (which was a lot).

All-in-all we will be going back quite often because it is a nice way to get outside and have Ella get to know some of the animals, to which she knows the sound for, up close and personal.

Sworn enemy: Bath time

2010-04-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

If any of you have read Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin hates to take baths. While I can't openly admit to naming our child after the One-and-Only, we may have created a monster out of him! Especially after how much Ella likes to take baths.

2010-04-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is what I'm talking about. Super woman has just given birth and still looks like a Super Model. Poor Calvin looks like he took a few hits. He's so dang cute though!!! Madeline said she wants to blog about him too so she's going to post the pictures from the actual camera. These are all from my phone.Hello Calvin! Hello Madeline!
Did you say something to me?? Put 'em up! See what happens who messes with the great Calvino! (Sounds like the name of a famous mobster)
What a stud...

2010-04-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

I, Peter, have embarked to commandeer the great work of blogging about our lives as Madeline has been "under the weather" or "weighed down" or "giving birth", whichever you prefer. Anyway, it's a little tough for her to blog right now so I've decided to help her out and show you pictures of our new addition. Meet Calvin Michael.

What can you say about a woman who is holding a newborn on her chest, has just given birth, and still looks gorgeous? Wow. Tough cookie. Super Mad. She's da bomb mom. (Not to mention she makes good kids)
Okay so he looks like he just got out of a boxing match. That's what they're supposed to look like, didn't you know that?? He's a fiesty one too!! Make him mad and he'll keeeel you!
I know I'm not supposed to want Calvin to grow up, but I cannot wait until he is 3 or 4 or 5 years old when we can ditch pre-school to go to the zoo. I will take him to the midnight movies, go fishing for golf balls at 3am, watch some sports (which I never do but I'll sacrifice for the sake of my son:), play pranks on his big sister Ella, wrestle, paint the walls crazy colors, play with GI Joes and ninja turtles, go buy some cowboy boots together, play with the dog, play horse on the basketball court, pick mom and Ella flowers from our garden that we both planted, flex our huge muscles in front of mom, play cops and robbers, build huge fires, skip rocks on a pond, read fantasy books (or whatever kind of book he wants to read), take mom and Ella out on dates, make up and sing crazy songs, grow beards or draw beards on ourselves, sword fight like pirates, do hand stands, pretend we are shooting other cars with bubble gum shooters, let Calvin drive, build awesome secret forts just in case, play hide and seek, learn secret code languages that only we understand, and do a thousand other things. That's why I can't wait for him to grow up.
Ella meeting Calvin...I don't know what to say. We let Ella ride the bed with mom, which she loved. For a picture we took Calvin out of his crib and placed him on the bed with the others. He let out a cry and instantly Ella's face started quivering and she cried oh-so-horrible tears. We gave Ella some bubbles from Calvin to make her feel better. She's not sure what to think.

2010-04-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get inspired by my lovely wife and her cooking/presentation. I think, if I could do 1/100 of the job that she does, I would be so proud of myself. As you can see with the gourmet breakfast I made for Ella of eggs, cottage cheese and banana, I think I made my goal! (Notice how the banana is on both sides of the plate?? Who would have thought of that?)Madeline seriously is on gorgeous girl. How I lucked out with her, I don't know. I must have cast some spell on her before we were married. If you look at Ella, you will see where she gets her looks. Her dang hot momma!
Do I need to explain this one? She's excited about something...I'll bet she see's me. Yeah, definitely someone else is taking the picture...
This is my man Oscar. He has stud written all over that cowboy hat. Now all he needs are some cowboy boots and he's set. Oscar, I give you permission to finish the job I started and KICK your dad with your boots all day every day. (I'm sure he still deserves it)

2010-04-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at Real homemade Macaroni and Cheese. Recipe kindly provided by the Wintch family.And here we have the finished product. I would post the recipe but it's a little complicated...it's like: throw a little of this, and a little of that and a little of this and a little of that...you know how the Wintch's cook...
This is my kind of cooking. Take a look at that Manwich!
These next two pictures are classic Ella. Let me explain. I put Ella down for the night or for a nap and as I put her binky in her mouth and the blanket over her, her eyes droop and she's very near sleep. Then, the instant I am out of view, I hear some major scuffling going on in the crib. I bolt for the open door just as I see a little head poking up to see where I've gone. Little stinker! I go back in later to turn off the lamp and here is what we find...
I had to turn on the light to get this picture but it was totally worth it!

2010-04-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Me. Two weeks of beardCALVIN!!!!!!!
This is our naked child...she's jumping into the tub. Her favorite past time is bath time...I'm not sure Calvin will be so excited about baths...duh duh duh
THE CUTEST BABY GIRL IN THE WORLD!!! I love that little head:) (Madagascar 2)

Valentine's Day - a success!

2010-02-15T13:32:00.001-08:00

Hello all -

I have been gone a long time and I don't know how regularly you can expect me to stick around again but I really wanted to show our gourmet Valentine's Day dinner we had and also give the update on our lives.

First off - Valentine's Day was very fun (we celebrated over two days, Sat. & Sun.) Saturday Peter made a divine pasta dish with a homemade white sauce. It was pretty much perfection and he was so proud of himself! He had gone out and purchased me "flowers" - I hinted to him earlier in the month that I thought it was so silly to buy cut flowers that were only going to die in a few days and that I really wanted a potted plant that would stick around longer. So I got a pot of Rosemary (which is an aphrodisiac according to this article over at Epicurious and is the herb I use most around the kitchen but for whatever reason don't grow in house... needless to say I was thrilled!) and a potted Calla Lily which is beautiful as well! For dessert though we had our homemade rendition of Outback Steakhouse's Sinful Sydney Sundae - TO DIE FOR! See recipe below...

Sunday morning (I didn't have any church meetings - yea!) so we got to have a nice sit-down breakfast of Lemon Souffle Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup, Orange Juice, and Thick Cut Bacon - yum, yum, yum! Ella even enjoyed it too!

After church we started on dinner. The menu consisted of Grilled London Broil, Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, and a salad. Doesn't sound too gourmet but my man loves his meat and potatoes but just wait until you see the presentation! So the dinner prep turned into quite the ordeal... we ran out of lighter fluid and our charcoal isn't Matchlight so we resorted to the boy scout method - sticks, paper, and leaves. We tried everything we could think of but as our gas lighter ran out of fluid and we came down to our last match, Peter in desperation light the cardboard match box on fire and that burned surprisingly well so he ran inside to grab more cardboard to burn. Finally (after almost 2 hours) we got the coals to burn and we were in business. I was worried there for a minute because I was thinking - if we ever had to live in the "wild" without an oven or stove, could my husband be relied on to light us a fire?? To my relief, I think we would survive as long as we had cardboard! So while he took care of the steak, I got the potatoes, asparagus, and salad ready.

It all finished at the perfect time and with a beautiful table set (and lit with candles) we were ready to eat! Peter said it was the best dinner he had ever had in his life! I don't know if that was more due to the fact that we had spent so much effort on it or if it really was THAT good, but I would say it ranks in the top 10 for me! We finished it all off with a repeat of last night's dessert (it's that good) the Sinful Sydney Sundae. Culinary tantalization at it's best!

Recipe for Grilled London Broil (courtesy of Cook's Illustrated)

*it's a bit of work but to take a cheap cut of meat and turn it into this beautiful, tender, and juicy steak it's worth it!

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 bottom round steak, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds and 1 1/2 inches thick

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Sprinkle both sides of steak evenly with salt; wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (steak can be salted and refrigerated for up to 24 hours).

2. Fill large pot or bucket with 1 gallon warm water (about 100 degrees). Place wrapped steak into zipper-lock plastic bag, squeeze out excess air, and seal bag tightly. Place steak in water, covering with plate or bowl to keep bag submerged. Set aside for 1 hour.

3. About 20 minutes before grilling, light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, or about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are covered in thin, gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill and build modified two-level fire by arranging coals to cover one-half of grill with other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush.

4. Remove steak from water and unwrap; brush both sides with oil (salt will have dissolved) and sprinkle evenly with pepper. Grill steak directly over coals, flipping steak with tongs once every minute, until dark brown crust forms on both sides, about 8 minutes. Move steak to cooler side of grill; cover grill and continue cooking until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of steak registers 120 degrees for rare to medium-rare, about 5 minutes, flipping steak halfway through cooking time.

5. Transfer steak to cutting board and let rest, tented with foil, about 10 minutes. Holding thin slicing knife at 45-degree angle to meat, slice very thinly and serve.

Homemade Sinful Sydney Sundae

Katharine Hepburn's Brownies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Position rack in middle of oven and pre-heat to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Melt butter and chocolate according to directions on the introductory card. Remove bowl from heat. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until blended. Whisk in flour and salt just until blended. Stir in walnuts. Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out sticky, with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool for 10 minutes. Cut into 9 brownies with a plastic knife and serve with the following toppings:

Vanilla Ice Cream

Toasted Coconut and Corn Flakes

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce (click on link for recipe)

Raspberries

- - For the update on our lives - - Ella will be turning 1 on the 21st (one week away!!!) she is just as beautiful as ever and makes us laugh all day long! Our little BOY is now 30 weeks along and active as ever so we are having fun getting ready for his arrival in April! Other than that our life is pretty much the same. I hope to be around more often on this blog as it is a great outlet for me and my creative drives. No promises though...

2009-09-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

Darth Mal in pink!!!!!! I totally got the chills and had nightmares for a week when I took this. That was the first and last time I'll give Ella a bath!
All these pictures were snapped with my cell phone. This is one of my all time favorites. We call it the Chubba wubba. Madeline calls it the Buddha Baby.
Ella smiles at us every morning just like that. She swallow that binky whole if she wanted.

Ella, already picking her nose.

Ella's first taste of broccoli reminds me of my first time and every time I taste squash... Madeline doesn't like how much I don't like squash because we had squash tonight and she wants me to like it!!
This is Ella and our other baby Zucc. We grew her out in the garden next to the concrete. The zuccini plant is threatening to take over the front yard so we're hoping it dies soon. I wish I could show you a picture of our jalepeno plant!!!!!! I'm a proud parent of much produce and a daughter who gives me the most joy.

Ella has moves!! Definetly hereditary from her dad's side.

Lost in Space...

2009-07-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Again, I have been MIA from the blogsphere. Just to give a quick update on the happenings in our lives - - Back in July our house flooded and we were out for a month which was "fun." We were living at my in-laws house with pretty much the whole family (his older brother and his wife with their son included!) It was fun and a good bonding time as they have since moved to Missouri for Med School.

Ella is now 8 months and growing every day! She can clap, say "mama," "dada," and "baba." She doesn't quite know what she is saying yet but she is just getting closer to talking. She is a little mover now too. Not a total crawl yet but she can slide around on her belly pretty fast! I am ok with her not being totally mobile yet though - it keeps me at peace!

We just had a world wide meeting for our church that we got to watch on TV - it was wonderful and Peter and I have come away with a renewed desire to be better spouses and parents as well as members of our church. We had a fun time during that weekend of our General Conference when we traveled up to the mountains with some friends and my family to have a picnic and enjoy the changing of the fall colors. It was SO beautiful! And cold, which Ella didn't like too much.

Probably the biggest news, which came as a huge surprise to us was that we found out that we are going on round two... yup, we are pregnant for the second time... I am 13 weeks today. We have waited a while to tell everyone and it has seemed to go a TON faster

I just recenlty returned from a great trip to Orange County, CA where my cousin was married and we did a mini family vacation (unfortunatley without my husband). It was beautiful there and I almost didn't want to leave. We hung around on the beach and Ella showed her natural bathing beauty qualities! Shopping was a must and we went into Anthropologie, an awesome store in Laguna Beach called Beach Cottage, and a myriad of other stores. I tried to snap a few pics with my phone while in Anthro of their amazing displays so I could attempt to re-create! I will have to draw up the others from memory as they were all gorgeous!

Bloglight: Daily Candy

2009-05-15T10:02:00.001-07:00

Wow it's been a LONG time. Life just takes over sometimes and I got lost in the joys of being a parent and just never had time to share it with you. Lots of exciting things are going on in my life and the life of my family but that will be shared at another time...

For now it is about time for a Bloglight! Gee it has been a long time since I have done one of

these. I just recently re-found this online publication called the Daily Candy. It is a sweet site with adorable little watercolor looking illustrations. They have a Daily Candy for people everywhere and in different walks of life too - Atlanta to Boston - Chicago to Dallas - London to LA, and New York to San Francisco (to name a few) They also have daily candy editions for those with Kids, those who Travel, and those getting married soon too!

Daily Candy covers everything from Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle, House and Home, Food and Drink, and Arts and Culture. In the kids area they cover a few different sections like Fun and Tips.

You can either go to their website and check things out each day or they have an e-mail newsletter they will send out to you daily!

I totally suggest perusing around this site and the various locations as well. Oh and if you are getting ready to travel - you have to hit this site too for all the tips and info you need about traveling your destination in ultimate style!

Have fun checking out this place and if you have any suggestions for a site/blog that would make a great bloglight just e-mail me the site at eyesofmad [at] gmail [dot] com. I can't wait to hear what websites you love and want bloglighted! I have a little file of sites and so there are many more to come but reader input is so much more fun!

Hopefully you are all enjoying the end of spring (it is pretty much summer here already... ugh!)

Easter!

2009-04-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Late Easter from Ella and Little Nutbrown Hare.

So i am a little behind the times right now as far as posting goes... Ella is now two months old and goes in for her immunization shots tomorrow :S - I don't think I am ready for that -

Our Easter went well - we stayed over at Peter's parents the night before and that morning I made a Hungarian dish for brunch. After we got back from church we had our Passover meal which I thought was delicious, I am not so sure the pickier eaters thought the same...

I don't think I would make the Brisket with 36 cloves of garlic, it wasn't my favorite. The salad we created was amazing though! Oh and the Black Bean Hummus was delish!

What did you and your family do for Easter/Passover? Any fun traditions that you enjoy?

One tradition that my mom started years ago was that she would make my sister and I Easter dresses. We would wear them to church on Easter Sunday and although I was (and still am) very against matching, I loved having those homemade dresses.

So to carry on the tradition, I took up the suit of Mom and made Ella an adorable Easter dress! I found this pattern online (for FREE) and it worked beautifully! This lady's dress turned out a bit nicer but hey, she made up the pattern! My only qualm with this dress was that I had to make my own bias tape and that was kind of a pain (especially since I sewed it on the wrong way...) I also made this adorable little headband to match!

Oh it is so fun to have a girl. I am not too sure what I would have done with a boy... I mean no dresses, headbands and adorable little shoes and tights! - By the way, those polka dot tights were purchased from Old Navy but they were on clearance so I'm not sure they are still there -

And as you can tell from the pictures above, Ella is fully smiling now and cooing lots and lots. It is SO much fun now to just sit and "talk" with her. She is such a chatty cathy! He he... I think she is on the verge of giggling any day now! I am such a lucky mom - she is an AMAZING baby. She has already started sleeping through the night (at least 6 hrs at a time!) She has never had a problem sleeping really, like 2 or 3 nights her entire life has she woken up irregularly. She is eating TONS and TONS too - good thing mom has lots of good milk! We will se how much she weighs tomorrow (I am guessing over 11 lbs.)

I will do better in keeping things up. I am in the middle of a new blog conception... I will ask your opinion once I get things a little more solidified.

Ella's Blessing

2009-04-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

On April 4th we blessed our little Ella. It was such a special day for us and we had so much support from friends and family. The day was wonderful because it was General Conference weekend (it is a world wide conference our church holds semi-annually. It is broadcast on TV and radio across the country and into almost every country in the world!) The day was already filled with the spirit as we listened to those who spoke during General Conference give their address.

We held the blessing at my sweet in-law's home and that made it even more special. We had my cute sister and brother-in-law sing a duet of "I am a Child of God" which was just beautiful and made me cry. I sing that song to Ella when she can't sleep and nearly get choked up everytime... I have turned into such a blubber face since she has been born.

One thing that made it so special is that Ella wore the blessing dress that I was blessed in all those years ago. She looked adorable and it made her even more of an angel than she already is.

And Peter topped it all of with a most beautiful blessing. I hope I shall never forget that day.

Thank you to all the loving family members who traveled to be there for this - it was such a treat to have so many people there.

Features!

2009-04-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hello All...

Seems as though people LOVE Dr. Seuss! I have been featured four times for the Dr. Seuss Baby Shower I threw!

The first was my sweet mom - love ya mom! - She brought a lot of attention to the party and I got so many wonderful compliments! Next was the inspirier herself, Amy at Stem Parties. And just recently I have had two more come about - Tip Junkie and keep an eye out on Toni's blog Design Dazzle for an upcoming feature!

Honestly, if you really want to see some rockin' parties, ideas, inspiration, design, and all other things crafty and beautiful you should check out these lady's sites! It is such an honor to be featured by each one of you! Thanks a bunch!

It's Easter and Passover again -

2009-04-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you remember this post from last year's Passover dinner that Peter and I hosted for our family but it was wonderful and the request has been made to do it again this year! I am pretty excited because I am thinking we are going to throw a little twist in things to make the whole experience a bit more interactive!

I have gone through the items on a Sedar plate and have found corresponding menu items to represent each one! (See this blog post for explanations of the Sedar plate and what each item represents.)

Charoset - Candied Walnut Charoset. (We have combined this with the Chazeret to make a salad!)

Karpas - Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Beitzah - Griddled Eggs

Zeroah - Braised Brisket with Thirty-Six Cloves of Garlic

Mar'or - Hummus

Chazeret - Salad Greens (along with the Charoset.)

Matzo - Pita Bread (served with the Hummus)

We are also throwing in one other menu item mainly because my husband LOVES this dish, Potato Leek Fritters. (They are a Jewish dish but traditionally served during Hanukkah... oh well.)

For dessert here are a few different options depending on your personal tastes:

1. Chocolate-Honey Tart

2. Lemon-Ginger Pound Cake

3. Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

I love Easter time with its welcome of spring and joy of remembrance of our Savior Jesus Christ. Now that I have my own child I can understand an inkling of what it would be like to give up your only Begotton Son to save the world. How greatful I am though for that sinless sacrifice so that I can again live with my family both earlthy and heavenly one day.

If you have time I would highly recommend listening to this message to help bring the true meaning of Easter back into remembrance.

1 month old!

2009-03-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

How fast the time truly does fly. Ella is one month old today! I can't even believe it! She has also started smiling too! She has been right on the verge of cracking that grin for a while now and then finally yesterday she gave an all out, for real smile! She has the cutest smile in the world! This morning Peter and I laid in bed with her figuring out all the ways we could make her smile - it was a blast!

I don't really know what else to say other than this is the fastest month I have ever experienced - I hope (but deep down I know) her childhood doesn't fly by this fast! I hardly have time to stop and smell the roses. We are doing better at taking each day one at a time and not letting the time slip too quickly and now that she is smiling - it makes it all the better.

Enjoy these couple of pictures from our outing at the park with Dad.

Some SWEET Treats!

2009-03-17T11:51:00.001-07:00

It seems everyone in the blogging world has their mind set on spring recently! Mostly those who have been hit by winter's storms the hardest are those most desperately longing for spring (as would I - however it seems spring has sprung and we are almost in the 80's here - IT IS ONLY MARCH FOR HEAVEN SAKE! But that is why I no longer desire to live in the desert where there are only two season, winter and summer ugh!)

Amid all the spring seekers I found this bright idea which could be used at any time! Petite Watermelons! How adorable are these little treatlets! And you can't tell so much but there are little chocolate chips pushed into them for the seeds! Talk about a great treat for a summer birthday party, tea party, or just plain ol' snack time! Go check out one of my new favorite blogs, Chocolate on my Cranium for the complete directions on how to, when given limes - make WATERMELONS! (he he, I think I am so clever...)

For Far Away Grandparents...

2009-03-15T11:56:00.001-07:00

I really should start another blog completely dedicated to our new little miss (who is currently screaming herself to sleep. She has this pathetic little whine that sounds like an ewok from Star Wars! We feel bad when she does it but unfortunately we can't help but laugh. - All a part of teaching her to fall asleep on her own, it is a very LOUD process...) because I am posting so many pictures of her lately it seems my blog has become over run.

So until I get around to pulling that together - you will just have to live with it.

My parents don't live close and so I have to fill my blog and all our phone calls with constant updates and new images of our little girl.

We took these on Friday when Daddy gave her a bath. She LOVES bath time still (which makes us happy!) with the exception of initially getting in the bath and initially getting out of the bath. Other than that she is good with the whole ordeal and my favorite part is the lotioning which just makes her smell SO delicious!

I know I have already raved about how good baby products smell but honestly, is there anything sweeter?

They have discovered the perfect blend of scents - a very fresh and yet almost edible smell I just can't get over it! Maybe I will have to start wearing that lotion myself!

Still working out the schedule situation. It is coming along... However, Friday night she slept for 6 hours straight! She went down at 10:30 and slept until 4:15/4:30!!! Last night I was not as fortunate but I think we kind of threw her off her groove because I didn't end up feeding her until midnight!

We are still just having loads of fun though. Yesterday we read two books and played for a while. I can't wait for that real live smile to come through! I hope I am the lucky one it is bestowed upon.

My brother-in-law thought he was the lucky one yesterday but everyone assured him that she was asleep with her eyes just wide open and her endless stream of expressions going across her face. I will have to try and capture a picture of her when she does that because it is just so strange how her eyes can seriously be WIDE open and looking around but she is dead asleep.

Oh a quick tip for mothers - DON'T BUY TARGET BRAND DIAPERS! They leak horribly! I have an entire jumbo pack left and I am trying to change her diaper as often as possible in order to get rid of them. She has had more blowouts using these diapers than Pampers or Huggies! We have two ginormous boxes of Kirkland Brand so I am a little interested to see how those fair.

I worked on a little project yesterday (and will be finishing today) that I am excited to unveil to everyone... It is a little something for her nursery!

Also, don't think I forgot about our Bloglight for this month - the post is just in the works right now. Hopefully I will get it up this week! Check with ya later!

DIY Mania!

2009-03-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Lucky for me (well, mostly lucky for Peter because he would have been the one who ended up doing all this...) my parents came to town a week before the baby was due. Seeing as they didn't have a ton going on in the days ensuing Ella's birth, they took to some of my DIY projects!!!

The biggies ~

First, Peter and I had scouted around for a dresser we could convert into a changing table for Ella's room for quite some time. I am extremely picky when it comes to things for my home and so I seriously took my time on searching this piece out. Plus I figured, if we did it just right, this dresser would be something she could continue to use for a while.

One fateful Saturday, I scoped out the garage sale market and found there were a few estate sales going on in our downtown area which I thought would HAVE to be somewhat decent! So we ventured over to a few garage sales in our area and when we came up empty handed we continued to the estate sale. We scoured through the entire house (which was very old but really cool looking!) and in the last bedroom - there it was - a probably 1940's vanity WITHOUT a sold sign! I figured a piece like this must be going for quite a large sum but when I drew nearer my heart stopped to see a $20 price tag!!!!! This was a deal I could not refuse! I called Peter into the room and told him to go upstairs and pay for this immediately while I stood guard!

Peter and I (ok... again, mostly Peter - hey, I was pregnant and couldn't be sniffing paint fumes!) began getting the dresser ready for painting. We had also found some cool faux crystal knobs that we were going to put on the middle drawer but those ended up breaking and so we just stuck with the originals, painted black - which I really like!

The dresser was pretty short (most definitely not suited for a changing table!) so my genius dad went to the hardware store and bought these cute little legs - they are actually toppers or curtain holdbacks but we transformed them into legs and they work wonders!

So - all in all I think the dresser came out to costing us:

Dresser - $20

Paint - $3 (a whole gallon at Habitat for Humanity)

Legs - aprox $5 per leg (I think we found these in the drapery isle)

Next - (BIG PROPS TO PETER!!!) I found this book shelf (photo to the left) on Ohdeedoh and have been dying for one ever since because there is the perfect spot for it in Ella's room. I have searched and searched the internet (Pottery Barn used to sell them but I couldn't find them on their site) with no results! Then one day when I wasn't looking for the shelf I stumbled upon the directions to make your own on Martha Stewart's website!

I wasn't too sure how this would go over with the Hubby considering that he always loves to flaunt the fact that he got a D in shop class. But I figured that Valentines Day was coming up and I REALLY wanted this book shelf so I could probably convince him it was a good idea. I e-mailed him the directions and asked very nicely, "Could you please make this for me and your sweet little girl?" To which he quickly responded, Yes! I was blown away and MLK day was coming up so he would have an entire day to get it done! He asked his dad if he would help him (since his dad is fully equipped with every tool imaginable!) And they were so cute! The made a few adjustments to Martha's measurements - one was making the actual shelf where the book rested a bit wider than she suggested and also instead of just using a straight peice for the dowel that holds the book on the shelf the got round ones. Once they had the shelf almost completely done they decided it would look better with a little trim on the edges too!

I couldn't believe that my husband had succeeded in his woodworking skills and made this shelf for me. Once we got it all painted it looked perfect and it is now sporting Ella's growing book collection! I can't wait until she is bigger so we can tell her this story!

One other project - while my dad was slaving away painting the dresser and the bookshelf he asked if there was anything else I wanted painted white. (I always have something that I need painted so of course I jumped on the opportunity to have some of my projects get finished. I have had these two giant spools in my living room for over a year in all their unfinished glory. I became so sick of looking at them that it was all I could do to keep myself from jumping up and down and shouting excitedly YES - Paint my Spools!!!

Alas, those have been completed as well! Yeah! My living room is just that much closer to feeling pulled together - now pretty much all that is left is the daunting sofa recovering project... dun dun dun.....

We have also worked on a few little projects around the house - like the Craft/Office Room Revamp and Ella's Mobile and Pillow for her crib. Those (aren't totally finished yet...) will have to come in a later post.

For now, ta-ta and post a link to your blog if you have recently finished a DIY (BIG or small) that you want to show off to the world!

I am linking this post to Domestically Speaking's Paint Party

My two LOVES!

2009-03-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

What is cuter than a girl and her daddy? She has him wrapped around her cute little finger! Even when she has a stinky bum or has just thrown up all over our bed - all she has to do is look at him with those adorable eyes or give him that delirious smile and he melts all over.

I love watching Peter be a dad. He is so loving and is constantly concerned with how she is doing. Even though he is out working hard or going to classes he has made such a special connection with his little girl. He is completely willing to do everything it takes to provide for Ella.

Being parents is so hard but so worth it! Yesterday we attempted to go to the grocery store and when we pulled into the parking space - I pulled her out of the car seat and almost got her into the sling when I realized that she was COVERED in poop! I looked at Peter with despair and told him to get back in the car, we are going home. He saw the pile of poop in her car seat and the streaks that were covering me and got back in and went home. He was so wonderful to clean out the car seat while I changed her stinky bum.

I love my two loves! More than anything in the world. It is truly amazing how much love you can have instantly for a tiny person you have never met before. It is also amazing how difficult nights with a little one, giant poop explosions, and emotionally draining days can bring two people who already love each other so much even closer together. There is just something about both being covered in your little creation's poop or throw up that makes your partner looks something sexy.

Bath Time!

2009-03-05T20:56:00.000-08:00

Ella's first bath was a success! She LOVES taking baths! At first she gets a little squirmy because she really doesn't like being cold but once she is in the water she just kicks her legs and is very calm (as long as I do a good job making sure I squeeze the washcloth over her belly and arms so she stays warm.)

Once I pull her out of the tub it is a different story - she freaks out until you wrap her in a towel. I gave her another bath tonight and lathered her in yummy lavender lotion afterwards. She smells delicious! I love the smell of baby products!

Our Bundle of Joy has Arrived!

2009-02-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

Ella Zsofi made her way into this world on February 21, 2009 at 5:38 pm. She weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and measured at 20 inches long. She has beautiful dark hair and her daddy's beautiful eyes.

Everyone is so filled with joy and excitement in our family. She is the first grandchild on my side of the family and the second by only three months (first granddaughter though) on Peter's side. She has already become the pampered princess she was born to be with grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunties, and great uncles and aunts fussing and fawning over her.

We have had so many well wishes from friends and family all over the globe and everyone just wants to see and love her. It is amazing to me how many people know of her birth and care for her.

We have already had so many fun experiences together as a little family. Our little girl is so cute when she is in that delirious state right before she falls asleep - and she grins shamelessly. It is just adorable and we could honestly stare at her for hours on end.

Being a mother is one of the most wonderful things in the world! Peter and I (although this parenting thing is a lot harder than we expected) are growing closer than ever and falling more in love with each other and our precious little girl.

~The proud grandparents ~

My labor and delivery went SO amazingly well - I was shocked. We went into the hospital at 8 am after waking at about 6 am with consistent contractions. We had taken our time getting ready, so much so that Peter didn't think that I was really ready and that we didn't need to go to the hospital. Once there, the nurse said I was dilated to a 6 and 80% effaced and my contractions were happening close enough that they would keep me.

Once I got into my room it wasn't too much later that the Dr. who was on staff that morning came in and broke my water. Unfortunately that didn't speed up my contractions like we were hoping so I decided to take a walk around the halls which still did nothing to speed things up.

Back in my room, they hooked me up to the pitocin which made things happen really fast. I went about an hour to an hour and a half without any pain meds and then I was ready for my epidural - which I must say was the most blessed thing ever! Once I had that I was able to take a nap and get myself rested enough to prepare for labor. The whole thing took about 8 hours from when we went to the hospital to when she was born. The actual "pushing" part of labor went really smoothly as well - I really feel so lucky! They checked me around 4 and I was dilated to a 9 and she said she would come and check me in a half hour to see if I had progressed and when she got back in she said I was ready to go! We did a few practice pushes while we waited for the Dr. Once he got there it was quick and fast through 3 contractions and she was there!

I requested a skin to skin delivery which means that after Peter cut the cord they place her on my belly to clean her off. That was the most special moment. Even though she was all purple, she seemed so peaceful - hardly made a peep and was just wide awake looking around. Her little hands were moving around and I stuck my finger in her little hand and she grasped it which was one of the most tender moments.

Oh we just love her so much! She has been such a good baby, I couldn't ask for anything better. Hopefully you enjoy these few pictures - I am sure there will be LOADS more to come!

Last Minute Valentines Day Gifts

2009-02-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

So Valentines Day may not be super important to you but just think of your sweet love and how they will feel on the day of celebrating Love if they don't get a little something special...

I just happened to glance around the web today and found some GREAT quick and easy last minute Valentines Day gifts!

Just the other night (while helping Peter write a paper about Galileo and his effect on the worlds thinking about God...) I whipped up these little cuties... Jessica over at How About Orange turned me on to these origami gifts. They were pretty easy once you realize that you have to follow the picture directions to the utmost exactness (even the direction the paper is facing!) The heart bookmark was a huge hit and Peter already is using it! I actually made these cute little birdies for myself (he he...) and I have two at work and one at home to hold up all my paper clips!

At Design Sponge I was dazeled by the adorable simplicity of this Valentines Kit. How fun would it be to throw together a little box filled with interesting and random goodies and make it a picnic! Just some relaxation time for you and your sweets! If your weather is doing anything like ours (possibly snow on Saturday) just lay out a blanket in the living room and light up some candles and jump back into the world of pretend by setting up a "tent" with your dining room chairs (or your couch) and a blanket draped over the top. {We may have to make one of these kits to take with us to the hospital just in case our little present comes early! }

Another idea I found via Design Sponge is from a little blog called Twig and Thistle - they have a tutorial for making a cute handmade gift and even packaging it in a cute (and cheap) bag! I love this idea! Plus, how easy to whip up some brownies and cookie cutter them into hearts! Wonderful the things people think of isn't it!

And for those of you who would like something a little more racy... hold on to your britches for these ones! Just think of the red faces you will get with these little numbers! I found this idea on Etsy and sent it around to the girls in my office and they are all beyond excited to surprise their husbands with these sweet cookies.

Well, whatever your Valentine likes, search around a bit on the internet and I promise that you will be able to find some tutorial or something that will give you an idea for a great gift!

Bloglight: My Food Storage Deals

2009-02-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

For February's Bloglight I would like to reveal to you to a marvelous site/blog which I was recently introduced to. Some of you may have heard of it already but My Food Storage Deals is THE resource for all your food storage obtaining as well as some sweet recipes and other tips for using your food storage!

I guess you could say I have been on a kick lately with the food storage thing (I am referring to my pathetic food storage idea with the frozen pound cake recipe...) but it is something that has been on my mind lately and so now you get to hear about it!

Ok back to My Food Storage Deals, this lady is amazing! She is a serious shopper! {and loves to cook!!!} You can subscribe to her site for $6.95 a month and get all the details about which buys are super buys and which you can wait on until the sale is better.

I just signed up for her FREE newsletter which also has great tips and tricks and she keeps a blog updated with a few little hints as well. I am telling you this woman really knows her stuff when it comes to stock piling food!

There is a great resource located under the Free Downloads tab where you can print off a PDF Food Storage Inventory Sheet and see how much you have compared to how much you need. The sheet works much like a check book - you put totals on grey lines and additions/subtractions on white lines. This allows you to keep track each time you go to the grocery store and each time you use items (it will also allow you to see how often you use things and which things just sit around and you need to learn to use!)

I actually just finished taking in my inventory and according to the totals Peter and I could survive for about... 2 months - which is a great start! I am proud to even have that much. I can't wait though to start really getting things in motion (and save some major buckage while I am at it!)

That is the greatest part about My Food Storage Deals is that she goes over which deals are the best in her tips sheet (for members only) and tells you which things (and how much of it) you need to stock up on! She really only suggests the ones which the sale is the absolute best for the year which is nice because if you just stock pile now, you won't have to worry about spending regular prices on it later because you will just shop from your food storage closet! What a novel idea - being self reliant even during times of plenty? That is, I think, what going through all this rigmarole is about!

As you can tell, I am very excited about my new found - hobby? - yeah, you could call it that. I will be doing my shopping on Friday (hopefully - considering I feel up to it....) and I will let you know how my spoils turn out!

For now, just go and check out the sweet results and freebies that My Food Storage Deals has going on!

Thanks for sharing your amazing talent with us Mrs. My Food Storage Deals!

Belly Mongers...

2009-02-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

As per request from a few pregnant belly mongers - here is a recent belly pic that my husband took to show the ever growing mound on my mid-section. We are just patiently waiting... waiting... waiting... and I have had just about everyone give me advice about how to induce labor! Everything from running up and down the stairs to doing the "hanky panky" to jumping on your bed playing Rock Band.

Alas, we are trying but nothing is working. My poor brother-in-law said that all he wanted for his birthday (which was yesterday) was his niece! My little sister is begging us to have her this weekend because she has school off on Monday. Every one has their own agendas and apperently so does little Ella. She will come when she comes (I can't believe I am really saying that when deep inside I am screaming for her to get out!)

This was taken at 35 weeks along and I am now 38 weeks. We took another picture (that I haven't uploaded yet...) but I figured I would save the rest for after my Dr. Appointment tomorrow when I can update you on the progress. So for now you will have to deal with this picture. I am kind of excited because I also have some Maternity Pictures that Peter's very talented and wonderful cousin, Lauren took for us. I will post those when I get them.

Thank you all for the support and advice and hopefully the next time you see me I am about 30 lbs lighter!!!! He he...

Oh and more to come later:

Maternity Pictures
Home Made Nursing Cover!! (So CUTE!)
Homemade Baby Slings
Homemade Flower Ruffle Pillow (for her super cute crib!)
DYI Dresser re-do!!! (For Ella's changing table... we found a $20 antique dresser that is going to be SWEET!)

**One more thing... don't forget to check out my Mom's Etsy shop, she is selling the most adorable recycled baby clothes!!!!

Food Storage 101...sorta...

2009-02-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

So I just finished watching one of Tracy Porter's recent videos on making an English Trifle. After cleaning up my drool for everything in the video from her amazingly simple kitchen, to the outfit she was wearing and of course the delicious and EASY dessert she whipped up - I finally came to realize that I don't have my food storage properly equipped!

First of all, if we have a food shortage then the FIRST thing I am going to crave will inevitably be sweets! We have cereal coming out our ears, we just hugely stocked up on meat (which is now all neatly packaged and frozen away) and we have so much pasta I could probably wrap the world around with wet noodles! But NO SWEETS!!! As I watched Mrs. Porter whip together this beautiful trifle I began to think to myself, I MUST MAKE POUND CAKE!!!! You may think this is just one of those crazy pregnant lady symptoms but alas, I must warn you, pound cake with a little pudding (which I think that is one of my cravings!) all layered in between perfectly sweetened and whipped cream with berries to round it out - now tell me your stomach isn't growling!

So that is on my list of things to do tonight. I figure why not start now at stocking my freezer with oh so perfect loaves of pound cake! (I think I may also need to start stocking pre-made brownies... I don't know if in a crisis I could wait like 40 minutes for my brownies to cook! ~ and who knows if I will have access to eggs and oil and such...)

This afternoon I scoured the internet looking for the perfect recipe for Pound Cake and remembered making something from Christopher Kimball and his clan with America's Test Kitchen of which I was extremely impressed with (probably because they spend days trying all different versions of a recipe trying to find the perfect one!) but which did take some time. I figured, "AH why not give it a try!"

Here is the recipe and let me tell you, it is not for the faint of heart! I would say this is an intermediate to advanced recipe (leaning closer to the intermediate side...) but I will say (I just finished licking the bowl clean) it is going to come out AMAZING! However, if I was going to try and mass produce these little tots, I might suggest finding a less involved recipe. Who knows, I may take one little bite and never go back! (I will let you know.)

Well I am off to make some pudding so that I can truly indulge with my newest creation!

Here is the recipe for those of you looking to take some quality unwind time in the kitchen - I don't know if any of you do this but it makes me feel great, a little chemistry (preparing the ingredients), a little taste testing (licking the spatula/spoon), and you feel accomplished {and you get to enjoy your results!!!!} What could be better?

The Best Pound Cake (Cook's Illustrated)

Yield 8-10 servings, 1 9-inch loaf pan

Be careful not to overbeat the butter-sugar mixture, especially on a hot day - you could rupture the air cells and cause the batter to be heavy. It's important to beat in the eggs very slowly. If you don't think you can pace yourself, set a timer or watch the clock. When you are folding in the flour, fold up from the very bottom of the bowl, otherwise some of the batter will have little flower in it, and this will either rise to the surface, never cooking through, or settle in hard, dense streaks near the bottom of the cake.

You may double the recipe and bake the cake in a large nonstick bundt pan (14 cup capacity); the baking time remains the same. The recipe also makes four miniature pound cakes; use four two-cup pans and reduce baking time to 40 minutes. Though best when freshly baked, the cake will keep reasonably well for 4-5 days.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (8 ounces)

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar (9 ounces)

3 large eggs (5.25 ounces, without the shells)

3 large egg yolks (2 ounces)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons water

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 1/2 cups cake flour (7 ounces)

Directions

Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-by-3 1/2-inch loaf pan (1 1/2-inch capacity) with vegetable shortening or spray. Line the bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper.

Beat butter in bowl of electric mixer set at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 15 seconds. With machine still on, take about 30 seconds to sprinkle in sugar. Beat mixture until light, fluffy and almost white, 4 to 5 minutes, stopping mixer once or twice to scrape down sides of bowl.

Mix eggs, yolks, vanilla and water in a 2 cup glass measure with a pour spout, set in a pan of tepid (tepid is a mixture of 1 part boiling water and 2 parts cold water to create a lukewarm water) water until mixture is about 70 degrees. With mixer set at medium-high speed, take 3 to 5 minutes to add egg mixture to butter/sugar mixture in a very slow, thin stream. Finally, beat in salt.

Remove bowl from mixer stand. Turn 1/2 cup flour into sieve or shaker; sprinkle it over batter. Fold gently with rubber spatula, scraping up from bottom of the bowl, until flour is incorporated. Repeat twice more, adding flour in 1/2-cup increments.

Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with a spatula or wooden spoon. Bake until cake needle or tester inserted into crack running along top comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes. Let cake rest in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Place second wire rack on cake bottom, then turn cake top side up. Cool to room temperature, remove and discard parchment, wrap cake in plastic then in foil. Sore cake at room temperature.

Shower Time!

2009-02-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

As we get nearer and nearer (3 weeks now) to Ella's coming, it has been time to celebrate as only women do, BABY SHOWERS!

My very first shower happened back before Thanksgiving. Most of my side of the family lives out of town but Thanksgiving was when we were all going to be together.

My Mom, Aunt, Grandma, and Sister did a wonderful job pulling together a black and hot pink girl party in honor of little Miss Ella. They had lots of yummy food and treats and we played some really fun games; a nursery rhyme game and the other game (which was a HOOT!) had two people - blindfolded - go against each other to see who could get the most amount of cotton balls from one bowl to another using a spoon.

The trick is, cotton balls weigh almost as much as air so you can't tell if you have a cotton ball on your spoon or not.

Now to the three most recent showers... one was last Saturday, then I had one on Wednesday, and another one this Saturday.

All of them were fabulous and each of the hosts did such a great job, I can't thank each of them enough.

A little explanation for each - Shower #1 (of the final three...) my friend Trish threw for me. She decorated with these beautiful handmade poufs! She got the idea from Martha Stewart's site and did them in hot pink, light pink and white. They hung from the ceiling and just added such a girly and fun touch! (Check out the instruction here.) For refreshments we had an ice cream bar (one of my personal favorites and probably the thing I craved most during my pregnancy - ice cream and brownies!)

She had the perfect array of treats, vanilla ice cream, brownies, mixed berries, nuts, crushed up Butterfinger, cut up Snickers, crushed chocolate wafers, gummy bears, chocolate sauce, carmel sauce, and two berry sauces! Oh I was in heaven! It was like homemade Cold Stone!

The games we played were another Nursery Rhyme game (different from the one above... and can you guess the rhyme I struggled with... Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater! Shame, I know, my poor husband's name sake.) We also played Baby Pictionary which got everyone laughing and I realized what a horrible quick drawer I am! After that we also played pin the binky on the baby. It was great to just have some time to relax and socialize with good friends.

My work threw me a shower which was #2 and that went wonderfully as well. They made those same poufs as my other shower but this time they made them in Turquoise, Red and White and only fanned out half of the paper so they could be used as table decorations. I only have video of this shower (which I haven't uploaded yet...) so sorry there are no pictures with this one. It was so nice to see some of my friends from old departments I used to work in and spend time with them as well as the departments I work in and closely with now.

We had delicious food, shredded pork sandwiches, coconut rice (YUM!) and broccoli salad. Then other people brought various desserts where were fantastic too!

The last shower I had was yesterday thrown by my sweet mother-in-law and sister-in-law. This shower was nursery rhyme themed and the decorations and games were so cute! They had traced pictures from nursery rhyme stories on a projector so they were BIG and then colored and laminated them. They hung those around the house as the decorations as well as part of a game we played later. All of the food they had prepared also corresponded to a nursery rhyme which made things really fun! And the food looked and tasted great!

The game had each of the guests take a piece of paper around to the different pictures and/or food items and we had to guess which nursery rhyme it was referring to. Some of them were hard but I think everyone had a great time! We also played a memory game where I walked around with a tray full of baby things and then I left the room. The hostess then asked questions to the group about what I was wearing! That was pretty fun and I think, overall they did a good job.

The other game we played was taking the letters from our baby's first and middle name and scrambling them to come up with different words - it was really interesting to see how many words people were able to come up with!

Just a big thank you to all those who attended and especially those who hosted. I loved every minute of each of the showers. They were all so different and all SO fun! I can't wait to bring this little girl into the world to meet all the people who love her so much! I will keep you posted on how things are progressing - we have a Dr. Apt. tomorrow!

18 DAYS LEFT!

Hunka - Hunka - Burnin' LOVE!

2009-01-24T06:33:00.000-08:00

No, this post won't be completely dedicated to my sweep-me-off-my-feet fantastic husband but more to the holiday which celebrates the wonderful bond that holds us together - LOVE! I love Valentines day! Not really for the little gifts of chocolate, flowers, and jewelry (which I only ever got from my parents until I met Peter...) but for the fun, whimsical feeling of puppy love it brings with all the paper hearts and girly embellishments to your decor. I have been scanning the web a little lately (because we FINALLY have the internet at home!!!!) and have found some great blogs with marvelous Valentines day decoration ideas!!

I haven't begun on my own yet because every time I sit down to do a craft of some sort (which hasn't been very often lately...) I feel a pang of guilt shoot through me because I haven't gotten any of my sweet Ella's projects done for her nursery (or clothing for that matter). Today however there will be time made for me to work on a few little projects all of which will find a photo op spotlight on this blog in the next few weeks.

Ok, first off on my list of V-day inspiration is none other than my rockin aunt, Tiff. She has two blogs, fourlittleloves and The Children's Nest - both sources of wonder and inspiration as she is one of the most creative people I have ever met! I saw this more than cute banner she made for her front entry way and I now must have one for myself - and I think I know the perfect place for it to hang! On the Children's Nest she has also recently posted a TON of great ideas that are really easy and again look adorable!

After rummaging around her Love fest for a bit I linked over to Do m estic Fashionistas blog who has given us a visual tour of all her little V-day additions and I must say that I LOVE IT! This woman is a real bargain hunter, you can tell!

Of course you can always rely on the fall back - Martha - she will never cease with fantastic ideas and crafts for every holiday!

Matthew Mead also has provide some fun looking recipes for Valentines Day - if you have a subscription to his site you can go check it out - this one looks great and easy! To give you a

hint, it is a lot like those little pretzel hugs that I made during Christmas time but instead of using a Hug you just drizzle the mallow with dark chocolate and place the candy on top (oh geeze, now I have given away the whole recipe...)

Also a new site I have stumbled upon is One Pretty Thing - she also has collected great V-day ideas from around the web and compiled them into a few pics and links to all their wonders... go check that out for sure!

If you have done your searching and you have found the ultimate source for great Valentintes ideas, PLEASE post them in the comments so we can all share.

Can't wait to see what you all have created too - so let us know if you have posted something marvelous about the holiday of LOVE!