Ever so Clever:: October 2008

And now the other...

And now Annika is sick.

She's missing the first field trip of the year (her class is going to a farm). Tomorrow is the class Halloween party. I hope she doesn't have to miss it since she's been talking about it for weeks.

I'm feeling gross but I can't tell if it's just from cleaning up.

At least the carpet steam cleaner is getting a good work out these past two weeks.

UPDATE- Annika is out sick again today. That means she's going to miss the school Halloween party. :( She's watching a movie wearing her black cat costume.

It's snowing!

I cannot believe it! It's actually snowing! (it's not accumulating but still)

I finally cleaned out the gardens this weekend. Oof. Was that a lot of work! I still need to till under the beds in the veggie garden....we'll see if I get around to it this year. I replanted the perennials that I had in my window boxes. I planted a bunch of allium bulbs (thanks Mama!). I also replanted plants that were getting a little crowded. While I was doing all this the wind was howling and whipping past me. And it decided to snow. My hands were very cold by the time I finished. But it's done.

Pumpkin Pie Popsicles and Toadstool Cupcakes

Oh joy! Oh joy! Oh joy!

The latest "Family Fun" magazine has a recipe for pumpkin pie popsicles!

Ava and I made them using the pumpkin leftover from the pumpkin pie spice lattes from the previous nights. We added some heavy cream, maple syrup and Penzeys pumpkin pie spice...mixed it all together...naturally tasted it to see if it was any good (oh...and it WAS SOOOO GOOD!).

Then we had fun putting it in our popsicle molds (ours is from Ikea)...kinda tricky. Ava couldn't get the hang of it....truly a mess....and then we stuck them in the freezer.

They're still in the freezer. I'll let you know how they turned out. (my sourdough starter is in the background...thanks Mama! Hopefully it'll work.)

VERDICT- OH MY! The popsicles were rich and creamy and tasted just like pumpkin pie (minus the crust). Definitely try these!

AND then there are the toadstool cupcakes.

That's another story.

I'm not sure what brought this up but Ava kept saying that she wanted toadstool cake for her birthday just like the one I made for Annika's last birthday.

So...like a good mommy (or a silly one) I said we could make some toadstool cupcakes today.

First we baked up a batch of carrot cake in regular and miniature muffin tins. (Ava and I did this before nap time).

After we picked up Annika from school we made the cream cheese frosting and I stuck some of the frosting in a Ziploc bag. We colored the rest of the frosting red. I tried adding black to the red to make it a deeper red- didn't work. It's a dark pink now.

Then the MESS really started!

We frosted the cupcakes. Some of it landed on the cupcakes. And on the counter. And on our faces. And on the floor. Red everywhere!

After we covered them all with red frosting we put the white dots on...using the frosting in the bag. I squeezed the frosting to one corner of the bag and cut the corner off. It worked!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love toadstools? (Fliegenpilze) ??? I'm sure I must have. I just don't understand why...the real mushrooms ones are poisonous!

OH! I totally forgot to mention that yesterday a little black capped chickadee found its way into our garage. I tried helping it out but it wasn't having any of my help. So I left the garage door open and it finally found the way out.

My mouth is still drooling!

I just have to tell you about our dinner last night. It was so darn simple but yet so freaking delicious!

First of all- after watching the movie "No Reservations" I just had to find a recipe for the spaghetti dish. I wanted to eat the TV after staring at that dish (don't ask me about the movie- I just wanted to eat those noodles and basil!). Funny, in the German version of this movie ("Mostly Martha") he cooks up gnocchi - not spaghetti. I wonder why they changed it for the American version.

Anyway...I found a recipe online...Click here to see the recipe. It's called Spaghetti Orgenata with Tomato Sauce. It's really quite simple- onions, garlic, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh basil and fresh oregano- BUT it takes an unusual turn with heavy cream AND cooking water from the pasta.

I didn't take a photo of it- drat. I should have- it was certainly worthy of one. We paired it with a delicious Pinot Noir and had ourselves an excellent dinner!

And for dessert? Oatmeal cookies with peanut butter chips...AND pumpkin spice lattes!

Do you LOVE pumpkin spice lattes you can buy for a hefty price at Starbucks and they're full of sugary syrup?

Well...this recipe beats those drinks by a mile! And it's done in a crockpot!
Here's the recipe.....
2 cups milk
2 Tb canned pumpkin
2 Tb sugar
2 Tb vanilla (I used 1 Tb of Penzeys Double Strength Vanilla Extract - don't tell me you've never heard of Penzeys!)
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (again from Penzeys)
3/4 cup brewed coffee

Whisk together and cook on high for two hours (in crockpot). Whisk again. Serve with dollop (or in our case a ton) of schmoo.

Yummy!!!!

Check me out!

My Egg Carton Birds are featured today on No Time for Flash Cards. We really did love making them and I hope you will to!

Thanks Allie for featuring the birds. :)

This just in...Etsy Kids BOGO sale!

I just read that Etsy Kids is having a BOGO this Friday and Saturday! I've just been doing a lot of window shopping on Etsy Kids and there are so many cute things available!

Think Christmas gifts! Think supporting local families. Think supporting moms. I think it's a win-win situations!

Click here to check out the Etsy Kids BOGO sale. Or go here to visit a listing of all the sellers.

My red front door

I finally decided on a paint color for my front door! Now...I love whimsical and fun...and I do love the purplish blue color that I had before...but not on my door. I felt it was time to make things ...well...a bit more

HARMONIOUS. I think that's the right word for it.

I color matched the storm door and that was it. I can't believe it took me so long to figure out that one! DUH!

I know there are lots of colors that would have worked (I was this close to painting it black) but I didn't want to paint the storm door. AND I LOVE the results!

If I ever get bored (HA!) I think I might paint the shutters but I think that idea will vanish quickly.

The easiest window treatment- EVER!

I've been thinking a long time about doing something with my kitchen window. I haven't done anything because I was just stumped (okay, paralyzed) on what to do. I didn't want to spend lots of money on something that I would hate (which sadly I'm known to do)...so what to do?

I found some this stripey fabric at Walmart (of all places!) and it was only $4.95 per yard- so I bought a yard. That's a pretty good price for a curtain, right? I already had the drapery rings or whatever-you-call-'em (oh and that cheap rod that I have to replace ASAP). That's all it took...fabric, rod and rings.

Okay, I didn't want to cut the fabric...as you can probably tell we're in desperate NEED of some trim. So, in order to modify the curtain later to actually fit my needs I just folded the fabric in thirds, ironed it, put on the rings and hung it up. No hot glue, no sewing, no nothing! All right...I'll admit it's not professional looking but hey...

it was the EASIEST window (mis)treatment EVER!

What do you think?

Mommy Burrito

This is a game of which you'll never see me post photos. You'll understand why in a second.

Mommy (or more favorably Daddy) Burrito is a "game" our funny little munchkins have come up with after they've taken a bath. They wrap Mommy in one of their towels and make her lie down on the floor. Then they run around the Mommy Burrito (in their birthday suits) singing "All Around the Cobbler's Bench the monkey chased the weasel, etc..." (one of the goony girls is the weasel and the other is the monkey). They run around chasing each other - that is until one of them trips on the Mommy Burrito - therefore quickly ending that game. (Mommy doesn't like having her head stepped on for some reason..silly I know!).

I love the "games" that young kids come up with. The rules are there really aren't any! It's just plain ol' silliness!

Ooof

Poor, poor Ava. If it's not coming out one end it's coming out the other -in mega doses at 3:30am. The good news is that I'm finally steam cleaning the carpets!

Can you say BLECH!

Anybody interested in a soap give away?

I've seen lots of other people in Blogging Land do give aways which got me thinking I could do one with my soap. Anybody interested?

Uh oh

Oh no. I just tried changing the blog template and I'm in over my head on what to do...it's not quite what I meant to do!

Hmmm...Worse?

I bought some antiquing stain or whatever the heck it's called to change the bird and "pumpkin" topiary canvases.

I don't know...I just don't know if it's better or worse. I painted the sides of the bird canvas dark brown.

I'm no artist... Annika said the "pumpkin" topiary looked like apples.

Are they better, worse or trash it & start over?

I can still make frames for them if that would really make a difference. I had an image in my head and what I got is certainly not that image.

Ugh. It's THAT kind of a day....

Ava is sick. She's vomitted three times- one of those being in the car. Having a sick child is NOOOO fun. Poor thing. She hasn't been able to keep anything down either. It also meant I had to forgo a play date this morning. :( I was really looking forward to chatting with an adult for a change.

I had also decided that today would be cleaning day- I washed all the bedding and the shower curtains, vacuumed and mopped the floors, dusted, and cleaned the bathrooms...I think I could have picked a better day when I didn't have a sick child to clean up after.

Have any of you had a chance to check out a new book called "Hello, Cupcake!"? My very awesome mom sent me a copy of it and I can't wait to try making some cupcakes now!

Ack! There's a Fish my Bathroom!

It started with just one fish toy....

All right- I know most of you have already seen my There's Something Fishy bathroom but I thought I'd post it in Blog Land anyway.

I think it all started with the Rainbow Trout toy my Opa (the girls' Uropa from Austria) bought for Annika while we were visiting my mom. That got me thinking about painting fish in the kids' bathroom- why not make it fun???

I started painting this bathroom when I was 8 months pregnant with Ava (my youngest). My husband kindly painted the walls (and did the wave pattern) blue- bless him! I stopped the blue part way up the wall because I didn't like the feeling of drowning in water. Now I think I should have taken the blue water further up the wall. Oh well. I still haven't figured out what to do with the rest of the white walls and I'm inclined to leave them alone until I can figure out what to do.

I painted almost all the fish free hand. There are two fish that were done with stencils (but you can't tell since I colored them in like the rest). Before I started painting I did several drawings of fish- I poured over my old Biology books, Jacques Cousteau's The Ocean World and many children's books illustrated by Shannon Cartwright.

The shower curtain is from Target. Though I love the fish theme I didn't want it to SCREAM fish EVERYWHERE - hence the stripey shower curtain.

Me- 8 months pregnant painting the fish. Ahhh...memories! I based the fish shapes on real fish but obviously the colors are my own.

I made the yellow valance. I actually sewed something! (I really wish I were better at sewing...some day!) I made the starfish hooks from Fimo dough (they've got polka dots on them) and hot glued them to the curtain hook thingamabobs. The sea horses took me a long darn time to paint!

My nod to my home state (that would be Alaska if you didn't already know)- SALMON! See the snails? I based some of my drawings on Shannon Cartwright's illustrations (I have most of the books she's illustrated).

See the Rainbow Trout that started it all? He came from Pike's Market in Seattle. (how fitting- Pike's Market...hee hee) Hmm...perhaps I need better photos - there's a clownfish (obvious nod to Finding Nemo), sea anemones and star fish on a rock. Oh...and the sea horses- I HEART sea horses!

My tiny submarine. Mark wouldn't let me paint it yellow. Drat.

Sea turtle- took a long darn time to paint. Love him. I googled sea turtles in order to find an appropriate drawing/photo for me to use. Oh...and you can see a jellyfish around the corner. It's glittery but the glitter doesn't show up very well.

I could keep painting fish in there but Mark said ENOUGH!

Now, will someone kindly tell me what to do with the top half?

Holy (Gr)ail anyone?

Ugh.

Today was Grocery Shopping Day with a 2 year old. Not my favorite way to spend a beautiful day.

I'm sure some of you can relate..."Mommy I want ___", "Mommy I'm tired", "Mommy I'm hungry" (and then they don't eat when you DO feed them! ARGH!), "Mommy, Mommy Mommy!"

I just had to show you the beer I bought. Monty Python fans will find this amusing!

In case you can't read the bottom- it says "Tempered over burning witches". (but it doesn't say what kind of beer it is).

Ack!

I just remembered that I promised to make homemade egg noodles for the chicken noodle soup we're going to eat for dinner tonight. I'd better get off my rear!

Not sure about these

I made these the other night - I had some small stretched canvases laying (or is it lying?) around. I wish I could get a better photo of them but NONE of my close up photos turned out. I think they're missing something...but what? One is of a bird & the other is supposed to be a pumpkin topiary (in honor of all those I've seen in Blog Land) with the word FALL on it.

Do you think they could use some antiquing? Are they missing something? Frames? I just wanted to keep them super simple...

I'm planning on making more of them and and make them seasonal- hopefully a fun way to decorate but I first have to figure out what to do.

I'm sure some of you will notice that I painted over my birds. I felt like their time had come. Some day I'll tile behind the woodstove- when I have an abundance of cash & energy! HA!

Soapy Smells - Need your input!

It's that time of year! As most of my friends and family know I make soap for Christmas gifts.

Now...

I want your input on what sorts of smells you like!

As a reminder- last year I made lavender with crushed lavender flowers, chocolate with actual chocolate and the "Symphony of Smells" soap (which was a beer soap with lots of patchouli, lavender, rose, ylang ylang and orange essential oils).

Please leave me a Comment with your favorite smells and I'll pick a few from them to make!

ETA- I make cold process soaps- that means I start with lye (sodium hydroxide), water and oils. While I enjoy making soap it is NOT an activity to do with small (or even older kids; teens are fine). I have not done the melt & pour soaps- perhaps that is something that can be done with children. Miller's Soap Website is my bible to soap making. This is the website that helped get me started. Feel free to ask me questions! If any of you are interested perhaps I can try and make a tutorial.

Hand and Foot Halloween Wreath (no, it's not a disease!)

I recently found The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman blog and she's got lots & lots of great craft projects for wee ones. I saw this Hand and Foot Halloween Wreath on her blog and thought it was a perfect activity for me and Ava to make.

Ava had lots of fun getting paint on her hands but she especially liked having her foot painted (it tickled!).

We let the orange palm prints (pumpkins) and white foot prints (ghosts) dry and after we picked Annika we painted faces on the ghosts and pumpkins. Then Annika and I cut them out and I glued them to a poster board wreath (I cut out using plates and bowls as templates). Visit The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman blog for more details. It's a fun project!

Annika painting faces on the ghosts. Ava practicing using scissors.

Our finished wreath! Annika painted some of the ghosts' faces on the wrong part of the foot. Still cute!

FUN ACTIVITY- Painting pumpkins! I wish I'd bought ten of these little pumpkins. This was a super fun and easy after school activity.

Happy Pumpkins

Happy Pumpkins in my window boxes!

Say Hello to my black Kitty Cat looking out the window.

Here's another little happy pumpkin! (wanting to go back inside!)

Okay...I really really need to clean out my window boxes - bring inside the geraniums and replant the perennials into my garden. I just don't have the heart to dismantle them quite.

I have a love and hate relationship with Fall. I love the colors and the cooler weather BUT I HATE cleaning up the garden. It's so sad to pull out all the annuals. Anyone else feel the same?

Galena Country Fair

I know a lot of you out there would LOVE the

Galena Country Fair!

Galena is a super cute town about 45 minutes south of us in Illinois. It's worth taking a trip there even without the fair. Trust me!

Enjoying cupcakes- naturally they picked out the ones with candy corn

Very thrilled to be standing by some very clever art using recycled materials at Stray Cat Art (I actually bought something...you'll see it in another photo- I just couldn't resist!)

"Bobbing" for duckies...the ducks had symbols on the bottom and you got to pick out something from the bucket with the matching symbol. Nice and easy for wee ones to enjoy. The girls got lollipops!

FACE PAINTING! Annika chose a snake

Ava chose a pumpkin

Little bit-o play time

Sharing a Hot Apple Caramel Sundae. I'd better get in there while I can! The girls devoured it quickly.

Some of our Fair Loot. There's a tea light in my whatever-you-want-to-call-it. Annika picked out the purse made out of recycled sweaters and Ava picked out a Christmas ornament with her name on it.

Ava, yes- let's see if shouting for the shuttle bus will make it come faster!

Annika posing with Mommy's treasure.

Can't wait for next year's fair!

Tails Meow Rose and her Owner

Annika decided that this year she wants to go as a CAT for Halloween. A black cat to be specific. Ava wants to be whatever Annika is but I think we'll have her go as a BAT (Annika's costume from last year).

So...when the package arrived yesterday from Oma (THANK YOU!) containing cat ears, tail and bow Annika was over-the-moon with happiness. She turned into Tails Meow Rose the Cat. Ava dressed up in the bat costume and became Tails' Owner. I became Tails' Friend.

Here are Tails and her Owner going for an evening stroll:

Here's probably the cutest bat I'll ever see (she's excited because she's got goodies from Oma):

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

© Blogger template Shush by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP