One Ginormous Adventure

Lessons Learned

2011-11-22T01:37:00.008-06:00

We survived Maddux's first year of football. Just in case you are wondering, I did not rush the field or yell anything embarrassing. Shocking, I know. But I did learn a few things...

1. Just because he was the smallest kid on the team did not mean that he couldn't be tough. Please remember that this was the kid dangling from the side view mirror on his first day of Kindergarten because he didn't want to go. He has also been known to cry when someone looks at him weird. This kid was a whole new kid. This was Maddux 2.0. He flattened kids that were a whole head taller. It was *awesome.*

2. Just because he is tough, doesn't mean that I am. I tend to go all mother bear when something is said about my kid. Brad says my mean, outraged face is quite entertaining. At least he thought so until I turned it on him.

3. White football pants have to be the most stupid idea on the face of the planet.

4. Little boys in football pads have to be the cutest thing on the face of the planet.

5. Watching football on television, or even in a stadium is way easier than on a field with ten thousand little kids running around. I spent a lot of time saying, Where did he go? Do you see him? Did he do something good? The fact that they were Cowboys for the first half of the season until their Packers jerseys came in didn't help matters.

6. The dentist will automatically get you in that day when you tell them that your kid knocked his teeth out at football practice.

Never a dull moment at our house. Brad is now trying to convince him to try out wrestling. I can't be concerned with that, I am trying to secure enough bubble wrap for Paizlee to start gymnastics.

Wonderful

2011-11-17T00:27:00.002-06:00

Oh, monsters. Today you spilled like a gazillion cheerios across the kitchen floor and then proceeded to stomp on them because they made a cool noise when smashed to dust. You insisted on listening to Selena Gomez on repeat in the car until even I was singing "Love You Like a Love Song" and the lady in front of me in line at Kroger looked at me weird. You hid the remote control before you left for school so that I wouldn't play Mario Kart and beat your high score. You whined, you smelled weird, you begged, pleaded and drove me bonkers. You ganged up on me in an unsuccessful attempt to eat all remaining Halloween candy for dinner.

And then you smiled sweetly. And I remembered just how wonderful you guys are.

Paizlee Brings It

2011-06-21T10:37:00.007-05:00

You have met Paizlee. The breaker of bones. The manipulator of parents. She is a force to be reckoned with. One day, she will rule this planet. However, she has a delicate side. I know, you can laugh and shake your head disbelievingly. I get it. I hear you. Maybe it isn't so much a delicate side, but a side that is slightly less let's jump off the deck on top of the neighbor's cat! Her slightly delicate side gets shoved weekly into ballet tights and scuffed tap shoes.

And when I say scuffed, I mean scuffed tap shoes. As in, I do believe that these were once black, but have no remaining vinyl to prove it. She thought that the added reinforcement on the bottom of the tap shoes (the tappy part, duh) would help her accomplish her most pressing goal: climb the tree in the backyard. And to her credit, she did make it to the top of the tree. However, the tap shoes did absolutely nothing to help her return to the ground. She took them off and banged them together until I went searching to determine the cause for all of the noise. Construction workers? Deranged woodpecker? No. 4-year-old stuck up a tree with tap shoes.

When it came time for the recital, or the Paizlee Show as she happily called it, she was ready to wear the cowgirl costume and rock it out. This child has never met a spotlight that she didn't like. She flounced and twirled with the best of them. She moved, gasp, gracefully. She blew kisses to the audience and bowed like any typical girly girl. It was shocking. And endearing. And I may have cried just a little.

Ballet is on summer break until August, so all remnants of graceful have long disappeared. Until dance begins again, we will have to deal with this...

Hell.on.wheels. Literally and figuratively. Love this kid.

Desperately Seeking Sugar?

2011-06-05T21:23:00.008-05:00

It is a gazillion degrees at my house. Give or take a few degrees. Regardless, with all of the birthdays and end of the year stuff going on my oven has been working overtime. In case you are desperately seeking sugar, I know where to direct you.

Breuklyn wanted blueberry cupcakes for her birthday, so I adapted this recipe from Martha. I loved the light and fluffy frosting. yum.yum.yum.

I finally jumped on the Whoopie Pie bandwagon with these Raspberry-Lemon Whoopie Pies. The secret to making the cookies similarly shaped is to trace circles on parchment paper and then fill with the dough piped from a bag...

We all know that I can't ever make perfect circles without cheating a little.

Ah, the genius of Bakerella. She made Paizlee's preschool class very, very happy.

Lemon.lemon.lemon.lemon. Need I say more? Glazed Lemon Pound Cake.

These Pineapple Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut Frosting were the absolute hit of Maddux's Kindergarten luau. I think it may have had something to do with the umbrellas, but I can't be certain.

If you happen to see me walking 14 miles to the store along the side of the road somewhere, it's either because I ran out of flour or I am walking off all the sugar. Either way, happy baking!

June 3, 2011

2011-06-03T00:51:00.006-05:00

Dear Nan,

It's past midnight now, which means that I made it through what would have been your birthday. A day that was once full of lemon cakes, bouquets of flowers and laughter has morphed into a day of profound sadness.

I baked you a lemon pound cake. You would have loved it. You could have eaten it without a fork, just picked up thick slices and sat on the front porch with a glass of Dr. Pepper. I baked it using your mixing bowls, your silver measuring spoons and your cake stand. I even used the orange bundt pan that you had hanging on the wall in your kitchen. I had hoped that the baking process would bring some sort of peace, but I admit that it just made me sad.

I don't know what to do to make me less sad. I keep thinking that this will get easier.

I got a job. I said, "yes" to every sport or activity that the kids wanted to participate in. I volunteered to bake cupcakes, make costumes, be the room mother and work extra shifts. No matter how many activities that I find to fill up the hours of my day, I am still sitting here at 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning with too much time to think.

I went to the Alzheimer's support group. I sat there on my metal folding chair soon after you were gone and listened to people speak about the spouses and parents that they had lost. I felt that my grief wasn't large enough in comparison to what they had lost. I felt inconsequential and shallow.

I can't talk to Brad because just one month ago he lost his dad. His pain is so raw and too fresh. I can't add to his sadness. He didn't get to say goodbye.

I got to say goodbye. I was there. But when I should have been letting you go, I was instead holding on tighter and tighter. I can't let you go. I can't seem to get around this huge, gaping hole that I am finding every time I turn around.

Until I learn how to live around this sense of loss, I will continue surrounding myself with the things that brought you joy because they bring me moments of joy. I planted zinnias and two beautiful hydrangea bushes. I set my dinner table with the plates and bowls that you always used. I tell the kids all the stories of our many adventures so that your love will live on in them.

Happy Birthday, Nan. I love you. I miss you.

Tuesday is the new Monday?

2011-02-22T15:44:00.002-06:00

This morning:

Paizlee thought it would be fun to use the broom as a tightrope. I am sure that you can imagine how well this ended. She wedged the dang thing between her bed and her dresser and then proceeded to balance her 35-pound self on top. The broom snapped in half. I know, we are all shocked. I then made her pay me all of her allowance money to the tune of $2.35 to pay for a new broom. Yes, I am the worst mother on the whole planet. And yes, I know every mother on the planet by which I can compare myself.

The morning then spun into something that looked a little like this: 1 Hello Kitty band aid, 3 pieces of grape jelly toast face down on the kitchen floor, 1 missing library book, 1 missing left shoe and 2 broken plates.

Then I dropped everyone off at school and went to a meeting at work. With adults! Who don't need me to pour them a glass of milk or cheat at Eye Spy.

And then I spent $110.00 on soccer balls and shin guards. Don't be jealous. And it's only Tuesday, people.

The Perfect Valentine's Day Breakfast

2011-02-14T18:38:00.006-06:00

Every year we have a huge big breakfast for Valentine's Day. I love the early morning sunshine that brightens our table. I also love a good excuse to put out bowls of candy. Shocked, aren't you? My favorite red tulips and hearts cut out of vintage road maps (that I bought HERE) completed the table.
A pile of pink pancakes always makes me smile. They were more or less in the shape of hearts. Leaning a little more towards less.

Strawberry yogurt parfaits were the hit of breakfast. Plus, they were pretty. And we all know how much I love pretty food.

My favorite part of the entire table were the name tags. Each beloved family member got a love note. It was the perfect way to start the day. I hope that your Valentine's Day was as love-ly as mine.

We {Love} Breuklyn Day!

2011-02-14T03:08:00.007-06:00

Oh, my sweet and serious child. I love how each child has a very distinct and unique personality. Breuklyn is the athletic child. She is independent, intuitive to the feelings of others and very much adores her spot as the oldest child.

Whether it is Breuklyn's birthday or any time that she gets to choose what is for dinner, we know exactly what she will pick. Chicken Paprikas with green beans. And an ice cream cake from Baskin-Robbins, of course. As soon as we sat down Breuklyn looks at us and says, "Alright. What do you love about me?"

Paizlee - "I love Breuklyn because she is my friend and my sister. She lets me play with her Barbies."

Maddux - "I love Breuklyn because she is always nice to me when she sees me at school."

Brad - "I love Breuklyn because she is so helpful. She is the first one at the door when I get home from work to give me a hug, too. I love that."

Me - "When Breuklyn and I were at the grocery store today, there was a picture of a man dressed in a tuxedo on the front of a Valentine's Day card. 'Why is that man wearing a torpedo?' she asked me. I was totally confused until she pointed out the card. Instead of getting mad or embarrassed because I was totally cracking up, she just laughed at herself and said, 'I love it when I can make myself laugh.' I love that about Breuklyn. She can always find the bright side. She always delights in the sunshine. There is a lot that I can learn from Breuklyn."

We have so thoroughly enjoyed our Love days. It was so nice to take a few minutes to really slow down and focus individually on the kids after the chaos of December and January. We had a huge Valentine's Day breakfast yesterday since Brad was home and then I just have to show you the chocolate covered peanut butter hearts that we made. Then we can move on to Easter. Right? I can plant some Easter grass and start planning Easter brunch... I am off to start some new lists!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We Absolutely Love Cupcakes

2011-02-11T22:55:00.010-06:00

Um, duh. Was there ever any doubt?

Once again we made Valentine's Day Rainbow Cupcakes. I must say, I loved looking back at the pictures from two years ago. The kids have gotten so big! Paiz was rocking it out in her high chair. Holy.cow.I.am.old. Just sayin'.

I love using these baking cups when I make cupcakes. They are easier for the kids to fill because they stand alone on a cookie sheet without having to use a muffin tin. They are a little more forgiving to Paizlee swinging batter around. Just take a pair of scissors and make a tiny snip at the rim of the cup so that when it comes time to eat, all you have to do is gently tear away the baking cup.

I just love how pretty these cupcakes are. I made these at Halloween using green, orange and purple batter. I have a major weakness for pretty cupcakes. Oh, and reasons to use sprinkles. I will do pretty much anything that involves sprinkles.

Breuklyn is very serious about decorating cupcakes. This is obviously a very serious business. She is also the first one done. She knows what she wants, gets is accomplished and is then happily munching on cupcakes while Maddux is still fretting over the perfect application of frosting. I love that she always knows what she wants and very often has no problem accomplishing exactly that.

Notice that Maddux is wielding an off-set spatula. No spoon for him. He wants the real deal. He has carefully sampled the frosting and since it met his inspection he will now spend 15 minutes frosting a single cupcake. While Paizlee and Breuklyn hoarded their cupcakes, Maddux was the only one who shared his cupcakes with Brad. Poor Brad. No one wants to share with him. Just where is the cupcake love, people?

Now this kid, she is all about the sprinkles. I can't imagine where she gets it from. The pinker, the better. She carefully arranged her heart sprinkles so that they were sticking up out of the cupcake. She licked all of them to make sure they would stick. She also licked the cupcake to make sure the frosting would stick. She is nothing if not dedicated.

You know that you just need to make these cupcakes this weekend, right? You can hear the sprinkles calling your name, can't you? If not, it is because Paiz ate them all.

We will be up to our eyeballs this weekend in making Valentines, creating teacher's gifts and We Love Breuklyn Day adventures. I hope that your weekend is just as lovely.

We Love, um, Antibiotics?

2011-02-09T22:26:00.003-06:00

The numbers from my life this week:

3 sick kids + 1 sick husband = 4 very good reasons for me to take a lengthy vacation in a land far, far away.

$85.00 in co-pays and prescriptions + 20 minutes waiting in line at the pharmacy = Justification for me to buy 3 new books for my Nook without feeling guilty.

12,000 Clorox bleach wipes + 104 gallons of water from washing sheets, pillowcases and blankets = Tulips, hydrangeas and more tulips covering every available surface in my house. Sensible, yes? Germs just pack it up and leave when surrounded by happy bursts of color, right?

All thoughts of sprinkles, frosting and paper hearts have been put on the back burner until the antibiotics have run their course and the kids are back in school. I have high hopes for tomorrow. At the moment, we love Tylenol, ginormous bowls of Vegetable Beef Soup and super cute slippers. Hopefully things at your house are more germ-free than at ours. If not, I've got plenty of soup.

We Love Love Love Maddux Day

2011-02-06T12:51:00.006-06:00

Maddux had a very difficult time deciding what he wanted to eat for his special day. It's a hard life when you are stuck deciding between cake, ice cream, cookies, cupcakes and banana splits. Those are his favorite foods, after all. I was actually teetering on banana splits for dinner won't be the worst decision I make all month when he decided that pizza was a food that he could live with. As long as there weren't any pepperoni, onions, green peppers or anything else that makes a pizza edible. However, the exact opposite is true when it comes to banana splits. The more that you pile on in terms of bananas, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles and cherries, the better that it is. Clearly.

We love Maddux for many reasons.

Breuklyn - "I love Maddux because he is funny. He has the best jokes."

Paizlee - "I love Maddux because he is pretty. And he loves me."

Brad - "I love Maddux because he is the best golfing buddy. He is always happy and he is the best at sharing with his sisters."

Me - "I love Buster because he is unselfish and always super considerate of others. He always asks how my day was and what I did while he was at school. He is always concerned about the feelings of others and always always always puts his interests last. He is rocking it out in Kindergarten and reading like a pro. Plus, he really is hysterical."

Maddux got money in a card from my parents because he got the Principal's Award for the last semester. As he sat in the backseat and looked at his dollars, he took half of them and shared with his sisters. "I don't like it when I have something and they don't" he said. He is just genuinely sweet. And, Maddux, I really hope that you will always stay that way.

Things I Love

2011-02-04T13:47:00.007-06:00

As you may have noticed, I take a lot of random photos of things that catch my eye. I have accumulated a lot of these pictures. Therefore, I created this layout. It captures a few of the things that I love the most.

I love layering on my layouts. Yes, this makes them a pain in the neck to store, but they are super cute otherwise. I find that the more time consuming and detail-oriented the layout it, the more that I love it. I am useless when it comes to quick layouts. I love to bask in the glory of a few uninterrupted hours of scrapbooking while catching up on my Netflix queue. I am currently obsessed with Lie to Me. I love when I discover a new (to me) show that I can watch from the beginning.

I am hosting a contest over at Scrapbook.com this month where you can submit a layout about your favorite things. One lucky winner will receive a $20.00 gift certificate to Scrapbook.com. I hope you'll check it out!

I have lots of pictures from We Love Maddux day. Pizza, Super Mario Brothers on the Wii and banana splits were enjoyed by all. Have a great Friday!

Valentine's Day Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies

2011-02-03T20:37:00.010-06:00

Otherwise known as my new favorite cookie of all time. That is right, people. Of.all.time.

You can find the original recipe here. For four dozen cookies (instead of the two dozen called for in the original recipe) you will need:

3 cups of all-purpose flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam, stirred
1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam, stirred

This is one of those recipes that is easily adaptable for kids. It isn't finicky and yes, it's a little time-consuming, but there are lots of opportunities for little hands to help out.

Sift together your dry ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of the bowl often. Add the peanut butter and then the eggs. Mix until fully incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

The dough should now be almost a play-doh consistency. It was easily rolled into balls and not at all sticky. If you find it to be sticky, put it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and then proceed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into 1-1/2 inch balls. The actual amount is just about 2 Tablespoons. You want them to be a little bit big because it makes it easier to add the hearts later.

You can absolutely freeze the dough at this point. Freeze them individually on a cookie sheet and once they are frozen, throw them into a Ziploc bag. When you are ready to use them, put the bag in your refrigerator for an hour so that they can thaw a bit and then proceed.

Slightly flatten the cookies with the bottom of a drinking glass. Don't get too carried away, you want the thickness. Space the cookies about an inch and a half apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Since my fingers are of the short and stubby variety and they are not at all helpful in pressing delicate hearts into cookies. However, the end of my wooden spoon is the perfect alternative.

Once you have completed this step, pop the cookie sheets into the fridge for 20 minutes to chill. Then, bake for 12 minutes in your preheated oven.

At the end of 12 minutes, remove the cookies and then reshape the heart in your cookie. You will find that it has gotten puffy in the oven. Flatten it out using the wooden spoon. Then fill the indented heart shape with your choice of seedless jam. I used strawberry for the first batch and raspberry for the second. Bake for an additional 7 minutes.

Brad, who hates it when I mess with his peanut butter cookies, has pronounced these to be his new favorite cookies. This man has never loved anything except plain old peanut butter cross-hatched cookies, so this is big. They will make the prefect addition to the ten thousand (or three) Valentine's Day parties that they kids will be having at school. Yum.

I hope that your February is full of cookies!

We {Heart} Paizlee

2011-02-02T16:22:00.006-06:00

Yesterday we celebrated We Love Paizlee Day. When it is your special day you get to have a big special dinner of your choosing. Paizlee chose - ranch dressing. I love this kid.

We had salad (with homemade ranch dressing) and pink milk to drink, naturally. She was in her glory. We went around the table and told Paizlee exactly why she is so loved.

Breuklyn, "I love Paizlee because she is hilarious."

Maddux, "I love Paiz because she changes clothes like a million times a day and that is hilarious."

Brad, "I love Paizlee because you have absolutely no idea what she is going to do next. You never know where she will turn up, what she will do or what she will say. She is unpredictable and we love her for it."

Me, "I love Paiz because she dances her heart out at ballet but mostly because her tights are all saggy around her ankles. I love her because she will try absolutely anything. She is the bravest, most enthusiastic and energetic of the three. She climbs into bed in the middle of the night just because she needs to snuggle for a minute and then trundles off to bed again. She is our last baby and sometimes we have a hard time letting her be big and she is alright with that."

A trip to Baskin-Robbins (two scoops for her, strawberry and chocolate chip cookie dough, of course) rounded out her perfect day. Thanks, Paiz, for sharing your love with us. We are so lucky to have you.

A Little Bit of Everything + The Winner Announced!

2011-01-31T14:30:00.012-06:00

I just can't resist adding a few more of my favorite things, since I had so much fun reading all of your favorite things! Of course, I snagged the first bunch of tulips that I could find. Shocked, aren't you?

I have two new favorite bands that I just can't get enough of; The Decemberists and Mumford & Sons. Love love love new (to me!) bands.

February, at our house, is known as Love Month. The first 14 days of the month have special designations such as, We Love Breuklyn Day or We Love Our Teachers Day. Sprinkled into the mix is a day to make Valentine's Day cards and a day to make Valentine's Day Rainbow Cupcakes.

Of course this means two things. 1. I get to buy exorbitant amounts of sprinkles and not feel guilty about it. 2. Everyone wants to know who gets to be honored on February 1st. Oh, the things we worry about over here.

This year, Paiz gets the honor. She has decided to acquiesce to my ranting and raving about potty training therefore she has been awarded the February 1st honor. You can read all about my adventures over at Scrapbook.com where I am also giving away a $20.00 Scrapbook.com gift certificate.

All you need to do is leave a comment over at Scrapbook.com about something hilarious that has happened to you this month. Day Two of potty training and Paiz is losing interest fast. I need the entertainment. Desperately. Trust me.

Even though I told my kids that we might get started on Valentine's cards, I have decided that I lied. I am happily working on my own projects and they will just have to wait. I am so up for the Mean Mother of the Year award. And it's only January.

Thank you thank you thank you for all of the fun comments on my 400th post!! I am working my way through and having a blast checking out your blogs. My little troublemaker was more than happy to choose our winner.

Sara Zenger said...
WOW! Thats a wonderful pile of Scappy Goodness! =) Congrats on the 400 posts - I enjoy them so keep up coming!

Right now I am enjoying my new book "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult, Pandora on my iPhone, a new recipe for Oatmeal cookies I make tonight and a day filled with scrapbook friends this weekend!

Glad you back Estee! Thanks for the give away and I posted it on my blog www.sarazenger.blogspot.com

January 28, 2011 7:25 PM

Sara, send me an email at EsteeLynn(at)gmail(dot)com with your address and I will get your package in the mail tomorrow.

I have got lots and lots of fun Valentine's Day posts planned. There is enough sugar to get you through until September, so be sure to check back. Happy almost February!

A Few of My Favorite Things - A Giveaway!

2011-01-28T15:05:00.005-06:00

Blogger has informed me that this is my 400th post. Holy.cow. What in the world have I been posting about? Oh yeah, cookies. And lots and lot of paper and glue. Oh, and there were those posts about the monsters. Brad probably made it in there somewhere as well. I am sure he would be thrilled.
In honor of my 400th post, I have a giveaway just for you! I dug through my stash of stuff and pulled out some of my favorites. All of my favorite brands are in here; Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket, Pink Paislee and Jenni Bowlin to name a few. I also included some Wilton Valentine's Day sprinkles because, let's face it, you can never have too many sprinkles, some Valentine's Day M&Ms, because everything is cuter when packaged for a holiday and of course, a few Bath & Body Works lip glosses. Oh, and since Venti Chai Lattes are not exactly mailable (spell check says that is a word, but it doesn't look like one) I included a $5.00 Starbucks gift card so you can pick out your very own poison.

So... you want a shot at winning a box of my favorite things? All you have to do is tell me what your favorite things are right now. Are you reading something amazing? A new band that you are obsessed with? Let's hear it! What are your favorite things right now? You have until Monday, January 31st, 2011 at 9:00am CST to enter. If you want an extra chance at winning, just send your friends this direction and have them include your name when they post. I will post the winner Monday afternoon!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

2011-01-27T12:08:00.005-06:00

It has been snowing. Therefore, I have been baking. And baking. And baking. It's a sickness. I am working on it. But my ridiculous use of flour absolutely works to your advantage, because I can share this recipe with you!!! See? I am always thinking of others.

You will need:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy, not crunchy)
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 and 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)
1 bag of Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, cut into fourths

The first thing I did was cut the Reese's cups into fourths and then popped them into the freezer so that they wouldn't fall apart later when I was mixing them into the dough. You don't have to do this, but I thought it was helpful.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, white and brown sugar and the peanut butter until smooth. Add the eggs in one at a time and mix until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix until blended. In a smaller bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda. Gradually add to the butter mixture. Do not overmix.

By hand, add in the chocolate chips and peanut butter cups. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Once these are baked, you will have to give them a minute or two on the cookie sheet before you can move them.

And there you go. Perfect peanut butter chocolate cookies. I baked 2 dozen of them and then rolled the remaining dough into balls and froze them for another day. These are perfect for freezing.

I have been organizing and cleaning along with all of the baking and am super excited about all of the scrapbooking supplies that I have unearthed and organized. I found stuff still in boxes that I had never even opened after the mailman delivered it. :yikes: But now that all is neat and clean, I am ready to share it with you! Check back for a fun giveaway!! Happy Thursday!

Rebooting. Snow helps.

2011-01-11T16:04:00.009-06:00

My heart thinks it is back in Michigan with all of the glorious snow that we are blanketed with. Today is our second snow day. I have to admit that I am kind of loving being in a small town where snow absolutely shuts this place down. Annnnd the phone just rang to inform me of no school tomorrow! I guess we are in for another day of snow and hot chocolate.

I bought these super cute chalkboard mugs as Christmas presents for the monsters. I also bought one for Bradley. I like to write fun little messages for him to find in the morning as he is getting ready for work. Today he was thrilled to find, "Tuesday = garbage day." I know he is dying to know where I have hidden the chalk.

Breuklyn and Maddux quickly launched into building a snowman. Where is Paizlee, you ask? She is drinking hot chocolate in the house. She is clearly far too delicate of a flower to deal with the cold. Snort. She just wanted to choose the first cookie out of the oven. Breuklyn wanted coal for the eyes of her snowman, but, sadly, I was fresh out. She had to use radishes instead. Maddux was thrilled. "You can give the snowman my helping of vegetables!" he shouted. Thank you for your selflessness, Maddux.

As the children are thawing out (and their clothing is thawing on my kitchen floor) I am busy planning a few (GASP!) layouts. I know, it is shocking. But my creativity is back and I have purchased enough buttons and paper to prove it. Oh and I also bought this, this and this so there really is no stopping me now! I know that Visa will be glad to know that I am back.

I hope that your January is going as beautifully as mine.

October Things I Love

2010-10-17T23:52:00.000-05:00

October brings two whole weeks of Fall Break, which means lots and lots of excitement with the monkeys.
Plus a few real monkeys that we got to check out at the Nashville Zoo. (Did you like that little segway? Nice, right?) I am also pondering exactly why it is that I continue taking pictures of the animals at the zoo. Why? What exactly am I planning on doing with all of the pictures? I don't even like nature.

Now here is a pictures of something I do understand. Pure bliss. I have been to Starbucks three times this week. I actually got an email from Starbucks announcing that the Pumpkin Spice Lattes were back. I don't know if I should be excited about this or mortified that I needed a notification. Jury is still out.

Breuklyn got her ears pierced when Carolyn was here, approximately 6-ish weeks ago. Breuklyn has been spending a lot of time deciding just what earrings she will be trying out once she is allowed to remove the original ones. A girl who is obsessed with earrings is definitely a kindred spirit. Plus, I love that a promised trip to Claire's will result in a clean room and a neatly made bed.

We have been to two pumpkin patches and amassed a total of 12 pumpkins that are hanging out with the mums on the front porch. A trip to the pumpkin patch is absolutely one of my favorite things about October. Brad just wants to know what I am going to do with all of the pumpkins.

Maddux is obsessed with word searches lately. He will sneak into his room with his word search book and stay happily entertained for hours. It is glorious. Plus, it reminds me of Nan. She absolutely loved word searches. Whenever she would complete one, she would write a little note at the top of the page. She would include the date, what the weather was like that day and a little note about her day. She might write, "65 degrees today, making vegetable soup for dinner." When I told Maddux this, he decided that he would include what he was wearing along with the date. "Tuesday. Batman pajamas." Nan would be proud.

October brings cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. I found a Madeleine Pan at a yard sale for 50 cents and just knew that my first attempt would be Martha Stewart's Orange-Cardamom Madeleines. They were absolutely perfect with a cup of tea.

October brings lots of fun to our house. I wanted to take a picture of Paizlee's turquoise leggings, but I got distracted by her (as she calls it) "ballet hair." We have been just loving the weather, the glorious 2 weeks free of commitments and the smell of cinnamon. Life is good at our house. How about yours?

Breaking The Silence...

2010-09-29T09:33:00.001-05:00

I really wish that I could write something beautiful and meaningful about Nan. I wish that I could explain clearly how lost I feel without her.

But I can't.

It hurts. It hurts and I cry. And I don't cry in a delicate pretty kind of way. It's ugly.

Instead, I will tell you that Maddux survived his first 2 months of Kindergarten.

After a few weeks of him absolutely hating Kindergarten, he has adjusted happily. I am so very grateful that I no longer hear choruses of please don't make me go! as he would climb out of the car and then attach himself to my side view mirror in the drop-off line. Nothing says amazing parenting like rolling down the window and threatening one's child with impending doom if they don't let go of that mirror this very instant.

Second grade has brought new happiness to my sweet Breuklyn. She is making new friends and we are battling through her difficulties with reading. This year is going to be good for her.

I can also tell you that Paizlee started ballet last week. She has since spent the majority of her days spinning. And I mean that most literally. I have to say that a class full of 3-year-olds learning ballet is definitely enough cuteness to make me happy for the rest of the day.

We have lots of goals set for October. I am happy to report that many of them involve pumpkins and liberal amounts of cinnamon. I am hoping that my absolute favorite time of year will soothe my battered soul. I believe that it will.

Epiphany

2010-05-03T08:35:00.000-05:00

Even trouble takes a nap sometimes.

Guess What Today Is! (+ a Giveaway!)

2010-05-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

It's National Scrapbooking Day! I am hosting the All Day Challenge and Hourly Challenges today over at Scrapbook.com

I love to scrapbook and it truly makes me happy. I love being able to have a creative outlet. And yet, I hardly ever, if at all, mention it to people in my everyday life. I have a secret internet life! Who knew?

The theme for this year's All Day Challenge is "Why do you scrapbook." I always think of my dear, sweet Nan. I just want to keep my memories alive.

Just yesterday I found a stack of letters that Nan has written to me when I was a child. One of the letters, dated August, 14th, 1989, read, "Everytime I look at the front porch I can see you sitting in that rocking chair reading. So many nice things for me to remember. I love you so much, you're my special bitty and will always be." Where do the memories go, when they are lost?

If you would like, you can read the rest of my article over at Estee's Take.

And since it is a day to celebrate everything about scrapbooking, I would love to give away some of my very favorite embellishments: buttons! Shocked, I know you are. I have 4 button packs from my very favorite Etsy Shop, LittleRedCottage that I would love to share with you. Just leave me a comment letting me know what you are up to today! You have until 11:59PM on Monday, May 3rd to leave me a comment. I will randomly choose 4 people to receive a package of buttons.

Have an amazing weekend!

A Day of Breuklyn

2010-04-28T14:01:00.000-05:00

This girl makes me happy.

Sometimes when I look at her, I still see this little girl. How did we go from Dora bicycles to digital cameras so quickly?

When asked what she wanted for her birthday, she instantly responded, "A camera. A real camera. And a day with just mommy." Who could say no to that?

10AM: Eat pancakes the size of our heads. Did I mention that the pancakes were covered in blackberries. Swoon. Breuklyn said that she needed to text Aunt Murray. "Can I have a cell phone for my 8th birthday?" she wanted to know. Don't hold your breath, dear one.

11AM: Positively flouncing Maddux at checkers. Maddux, bless his 80-year-old man heart, is the most pathetic checker-loser on the face of the planet. Did you notice that he is not in this picture? Well, I did. That is because there are tears streaming down his face and he is chanting, "Do NOT jump my guy. Do NOT jump my guy" over and over and over and over. It wasn't pretty.

12:30PM: Painting pottery.

I love the polka dots that she she carefully added to the inside of her cup. I also love that the colors she chose to paint with exactly matched what she was wearing.

2:00PM: Chai. Strawberry Gelato. Skip-Bo. Could there be a better combination?

I would just like to point out that this face is genetic. There are collections of pictures that have me making this face. Classy. Indeed.

The local coffee shop was the perfect place to find a quiet table upstairs and play Skip-Bo. It was pouring rain outside and we were happy and content.

Breuklyn is not my chatty child. She takes her time when it comes to communication. She will wait days and days to tell me about something important that happened. Maddux can't wait 5 seconds to tell you what he is thinking about, but Breuklyn is not like that. Breuklyn will think a situation over and decide how she feels about it and then, when she is ready, she will talk. My biggest problem (biggest fear?) is that I am not always instantly available when she is ready to talk and the moment will pass. This was a day to hear her. Really listen to what she had to say. And I learned a lot.

3:15PM: Library.

We read chapters of The Boxcar Children while huddled in a quiet corner. She read one page and then I would read the next.

Just one day. 7 blissful hours. A day to reconnect.

Sometimes, it is hard to remember the days when it was just the two of us. Brad would work 12-14 hour days and Breuklyn and I would stay in our tiny apartment all day. This picture was taken just days before Maddux was born. 2 years old. She was our little family. And we, Brad and I, thought everything she said was hysterical and every thought she had was genius. She has always been insightful, sensitive to the feelings of others and funny. Oh so funny. And she has always been loved loved loved.

Thank you, Breuklyn. For being you. And being mine.

Happy

2010-04-19T23:07:00.000-05:00

A blueberry muffin with a candle. A new purple shirt to wear to school. Special cupcakes brought to school by mom and dad. An impromptu dinner party with friends, complete with singing and ice cream sundaes. A grown-up digital camera to call your very own.

It was perfect. And so are you. Happy 7th Birthday, Breuklyn.

Numbers

2010-04-12T13:46:00.001-05:00

Finally! A layout! I have to say that I am loving Jillibean Soup. The journaling sprouts, patterned paper (Alphabet Soup was used in this layout) and my absolute favorite, the corrugated alphas were so much fun to work with. Everything coordinated so easily! And I am absolutely in love with the texture from the corrugated alphas. Fun. Fun. Fun.

I will be hosting three challenges over at Scrapbook.com over the next three weeks and this is my example for the first challenge. The three challenges will lead up to National Scrapbooking Day which is on Saturday, May 1st this year.

The first challenge is a number challenge. You can read all about it right here. One randomly chose lucky winner will win a Prize Pack from Scrapbook.com. You have until April 18th to complete the layout challenge. If you complete all three challenges, you will be in the drawing for one Grand Prize at the end of the three weeks. All of the winners will be announced on May 1st.

You can also read my latest Estee's Take column, which is up over at Scrapbook.com. You can read all about my epic battle against the wasps and the soggy Apple Jacks that I found in my shoe. Intriguing, yes? You know that you can't resist a good soggy Apple Jacks story. Don't deny it.

Are we all surviving Monday? Barely? Me too. Geesh. Is it Tuesday yet?

The End of March Already?

2010-03-31T03:00:00.000-05:00

Um, hello? Where did my favorite month go? The past week has absolutely flown by, but I am happy to report that we enjoyed every moment. Let's review, shall we?

Breuklyn has been itching to use her special cooking set that she got for Christmas. Since she had two weeks of Spring Break, we spent a lot of happy afternoons baking. I dare you to look at the color palette of her little cooking set and not be happy. Go ahead, try. See? I told you so.

Cupcakes. Sigh. No other explanation necessary. (Sprinkles found at Bake It Pretty)

Zinnias, pumpkins and sunflowers were planted in little cups. They have already sprouted, much to the amazement of the monsters.

Carolyn was here! She spent a week with us. I am never happier than when my little sister is here. We bought a fire pit at Lowe's and spent many many many happy hours sitting outside trying to keep a fire going. Brad is not so happy that I used the phone book to keep the fire going. Who needs Yellowpages when there is Google?

One of the perks of Carolyn visiting is that she is waaaaay more style conscious that I am. She always manages to pull me out of frumpy and into fabulous when she is here. I am the proud new owner of this ruffly purse and some fancy dangly earrings. Yay! Do you think that they will match my ancient Michigan Alumni t-shirt?

No matter how much Carolyn tries to fix me up, I cannot keep my fingernails painted. These fingernails were once shiny and turquoise. I think they give me character when they are chipped. Um, sure. That's it.

We are headed to the park for a picnic with friends this afternoon. If I can just keep this little one reigned in, everything will be alright. I am even more of a helicopter mom since she broke her collarbone. I am thinking of investing in some Paizlee-sized bubblewrap for the next 4 weeks.

How was your March?

(PS. Now, don't be shocked, but I have actually been scrapbooking. I know, right? I will be hosting a new contest over at Scrapbook.com for April. Stay tuned!)

Broken Bone: 1 Paizlee: 0

2010-03-29T14:50:00.000-05:00

We have discussed Paizlee before, correct? My daredevil. My child who will scale furniture if she thinks that there is a Reese's Peanut Butter cup hiding somewhere out of her reach. My child who is sweet sweet sweet...

but has no problem giving you the You don't expect me to be nice to you all the time, right? look. She cut her own hair. She emptied 6 containers of glitter into a large pile and proceeded to roll around in the glittery cloud of happiness. She is... the unexpected.

Five minutes after taking these pictures, she came flying down the slide and landed in a heap at the bottom. And broke her collarbone. She is now the proud owner of the world's teeny tiniest harness that will stabilize the bone for the next four weeks while it heals. Oh, Paizlee.

March Details

2010-03-17T01:47:00.000-05:00

Spring Break started this week for us. We are off until March 29th. All we have seen thus far is rain, rain and more rain. It feels like Christmas Break, not Spring Break. However, my tulip says otherwise.

I finally figured out fondant! One of my 29 Things for my 29th Year was to figure out fondant. Well, check! It was actually much less intimidating that I thought it would be.

Paizlee's Foofa birthday cake was made out of fondant. Foofa ended up being a little, well, overweight. She actually sank down into the cake after a few hours. Ahem. I had a little, um, incident with the formation of Foofa, so I had to make her out of solid fondant. Heavy is an understatement. She just got heavier and heavier... but I learned a lot about fondant and when I tackle Maddux's Phineas & Ferb cake, I will know a little bit more.

This little girl would not have cared if Foofa weighed 800 pounds and fell through the kitchen table. She was absolutely enamored by her cake. So much so that we weren't allowed to eat it.

It's a good thing that I made cupcakes. We ate cupcakes while Foofa sank slowly into the cake.

This is the mug that I painted on my birthday. My bestie, Becs, took me to the Painted Clay Studio (after Starbucks, haircuts, antique shopping and lunch!!) and we painted these perfectly ginormous mugs. Earl Grey, Chai Lattes, Chamomile and hot chocolate all taste better in this mug. A little love goes a long way in a polka-dotted mug.

My basil and cilantro are dreaming of warm summer sun. It won't be long before I will be up to my eyeballs in pesto. Sigh. A girl can dream.

What have you been up to this March?

Paizlee - Age 3

2010-03-15T16:36:00.001-05:00

Boots on the wrong feet. Breuklyn's crazy t-shirt, 3 sizes too big. Absolutely no pants, showing off those chubby little legs. Crazy hair. Nutella smeared across her face from breakfast. Cheesy grin.

This is Paizlee.

And now she is three.

The Art That I Love

2010-03-13T11:50:00.001-06:00

I am extremely lucky to have been able to visit many amazing art museums. My absolute favorite artist is Gustav Klimt and my favorite painting is The Kiss (Der Kuss), which can be seen at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria. The Belvedere Palace houses the world's largest Gustav Klimt collection. I will never forget how I felt when I walked into the room where The Kiss is displayed. Don't judge me, but there were tears.

I have been to the Dragon's Den in Cracow, Poland. I could have easily lived forever at the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum, both in Amsterdam. That was the art that I dreamed of. The art that inspired me in color and broken brush strokes.

This is my art of today.

Dinosaurs with orange spikes hanging out in the sun. (This one is even signed by the artist!)

Portraits. (Can you guess which one is me?)

And art that is accompanied by rousing stories of Super Secret Agent Penguins that are protecting the ice cream of the world. (This picture was stolen from Breuklyn's diary that was inadvertently left in the living room. I promised that I wouldn't tell the ending of the story to anyone.)

I love the art of my little world.

Birthday Winners!

2010-03-13T01:09:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all of the sweet birthday wishes!! I really and truly had the best birthday ever. Maybe 30 won't be so bad after all. Maybe.

The three randomly selected winners of the Birthday Giveaway are:

Comment #58 ... Shopgirlaudi

shopgirlaudi said... Hope you had a super awesome birthday!!! Left you birthday wishes on FB that day;) LOVE the pics especially the one with the kids behind the cake:) My favorite song right now is Everything Falls by a group called Fee. My favorite birthday memory is the one year my dh threw me a birthday party and bought me my FAVE cake; black forest:)

March 10, 2010 10:25 AM

Comment #53... Nikki Love

Nikki Love said... Happy B'Day to you!!!! I recently turned 40 and 30 was so much better ;) My favorite things right now are Prima yummies, blog hops and crops, a clean closet (finally), red tullips that caught my eye in the Home Depot the other day, Easter shoes, bonnets, and dresses in all the windows of the stores, feeling better (I've had the flu all weeek), and random kisses for no reason from my kiddos and from dh ;)
March 9, 2010 8:11 PM

And Comment #6... Brianna

Brianna said... Happy Birthday! I am loving that spring is on it's way! Bring on the flowers and the sun!
March 8, 2010 8:11 PM

Congratulations to our winners! Please email me at EsteeLynn(at)Gmail(dot)com with your address.

One final glimpse into my wonderful birthday: birthday donuts that Brad sneakily disappeared to buy. The man knows me well. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Better Than Birthday Cake

2010-03-10T11:57:00.000-06:00

Yes, the cookies and cream ice cream cake was amazing.

But the view of three Happy Birthday singing kids on the other side of the cake was even better.

(PS... Don't forget to leave a comment for my Birthday Giveaway!)

A Special Birthday Giveaway!

2010-03-08T17:54:00.000-06:00

I am now thirty. Thirty. Wow. I have to say, I am having a hard time letting go of my twenties. I absolutely loved, loved, loved my twenties. In my twenties I studied abroad, graduated from college, got engaged, got married and had three kids. It was good. It seems a little scary to look at the next 10 years and not know the adventures that are waiting for me. Just a little scary.

So, I say goodbye to my twenties. And I enjoy today. I am appreciating all of the small things in my life that make me happy.

Sprinkles make me happy. They foretell of afternoons filled up with cupcake baking with the monsters.
My glass bottle collection makes me happy. My little collection is just waiting for a few daffodils from the backyard.
It makes me happy to have a whole new collection. I am going to buy all of my African violets tomorrow and will be planting my planters with a little sunshine.

Sidewalk chalk makes me happy along with Maddux's stick figures. Warm weather brings happy afternoons playing hopscotch, drawing pictures of our family and playing tic-tac-toe.

New springy sandals definitely make me happy. I have been stalking these online forever and finally bought them. Breuklyn wants to know when she can borrow them.

Technology makes me happy. Where would I be without the ability to listen to the theme song from my Prom (I Will Remember You, by Sarah McLachlan) or the latest Dave Matthews Band song at any given moment? Also, the Sanford & Son Theme song that plays whenever Brad calls my cellphone makes me laugh so hard that I often miss his call. The fact that he doesn't know that it's his ring tone makes it even more entertaining.

And I love putting together little prize packs and giving them away! Would you like win a set of socks, nail file, lip gloss and scrapbook embellishments? I have three prize packs to give away. You have until 11:59 CST, Thursday, March 11th to leave me a comment. I will announce the winners on Friday. I would love to hear about your favorite thing right now. A favorite song? A favorite moment? A new recipe? I want to hear about it!

I am going to enjoy the last few moments of my special day, I hope that your day was just as special.

Winners of the Blog Crawl Giveaways! (+ a fun little hint)

2010-03-08T04:24:00.000-06:00

First of all, wow! Thank you to all of you wonderful blog crawlers out there! What a fun weekend! I am so very thankful for each and every comment that was made. Truly. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave a little note for me. You guys are awesome. Now, are you ready for the winners???

Comment #65 was left by: KateB - Congratulations! You win the Sunny Skies Giveaway!!

KateB said... One favorite thing is the fact that even though I have allergies, I can FINALLY open the windows for fresh air.

March 5, 2010 9:48 AM

Comment #15 was left by: Melissa Kaye - Congratulations! The Happy Day Giveaway is all yours!

Melissa Kaye said... I really love all the flowers of spring. Especially when the trees bloom...SO PRETTY! Very cute cards for your giveaway! I really like the kite card, but any one would be great!
March 5, 2010 6:41 AM

And last, but not least! Comment #177 was left by: Shawna - Congratulations! You win the Hello, Spring Giveaway!

Shawna said... FUN FUN FUN!
March 5, 2010 11:09 PM

Please send me an email at EsteeLynn (at) gmail (dot) com. I will get your prizes out to you!

Are you disappointed that you didn't win? Well, let me tell you a little secret - I will be back later today with a whole new giveaway. Oh wait, three whole new giveaways! Yes, that's right. There are more lip glosses to be had, ladies. Also some of these, these, some of this, a little bit of this and a few of these. There will be three fun gift sets that I put together. Why, you ask? Well, let me tell you yet another little secret. Today is my birthday. My 30th birthday. I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things with a few of my amazing blog readers.

So... I am going to be spending the day with my best friend doing some super secret birthday stuff. It's all a surprise to me! How cool is that? A whole day planned (with no kids!) with my friend! But I shall return, I think. I am 96.7% certain that returning is part of the super secret plan. See you soon!

Welcome to the Blog Crawl! Do You Like Giveaways?

2010-03-04T22:28:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Blog Crawl! Oh, do I have a giveaway for you guys today! Actually, I have three giveaways! Three is always better than one when it comes to giveaways, don't you think? In fact, between Bella Blvd, Jillibean Soup and Nikki Sivils, there will be more than 50 handmade giveaways! Um, wow.

I created these three cards using Bella Blvd's Flirty and Plastino Collections, just for you. Are you as desperate for spring as I am? Every time we think that we are headed towards warmer temperatures, it snows! So I am just throwing it out into the universe: I am ready for spring! If a sudden blizzard buries the state of Tennessee, you'll know who is to blame, ahem.

Giveaway #1 consists of this "Happy Day" card (with envelope), Blue Colada Liplicious Lip Gloss, a fun springy nail file and Vanilla Mints all packaged in a cute blue gift bag.
I hand sewed the details onto the kites using Bakers Twine. I love the little ties on the strings.

Giveaway #2 consists of this "Sunny Skies" card (plus envelope), Saltwater Taffy Liplicious Lip Gloss , tin of Blue Raspberry Mints and purple striped nail file all packaged in a floral gift bag.

Giveaway #3 is this sweet "Hello Spring" card (with envelope), tin of Cherry Lemonade Mints, striped nail file and Orange Kiss Liplicious Lip Gloss, all packaged in a cute gift bag.

Tulips are my ultimate favorite flower. They remind me that warmer days are soon approaching. Ultimate happiness.

Would you like to win one of these three giveaways? All you have to do is leave a comment here telling me your favorite thing about spring and which giveaway you would love the most. The three randomly chosen winners will be announced on Monday, March 8. That gives you the whole weekend to hop around and check out all of the giveaways and blogs!

Have a wonderful weekend and I will meet you back here on Monday!

(Head back to Bella Blvd to find more blogs!)

The Chocolate Covered Fortune Cookie Said So

2010-03-04T12:42:00.000-06:00

... and the chocolate/sprinkle covered fortune cookie people will be hearing from me if my fortune goes awry. Trust me. You don't mess with a girl and a happy fortune.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the Bella Blvd / Jillibean Soup / Nikki Sivils Blog Crawl! I will be giving away three prizes! See you tomorrow!

Today I Am: March Edition

2010-03-01T12:54:00.000-06:00

I was reading through Facebook status updates this morning and my dear friend May Flaum's status caught my eye: March 1st on a Monday... does it get better than starting a new month on the first day of the week? I have since been giving this Monday a whole new look. I do {love} March. Good things always happen in March.

March 1, 2009 brought us snow. March 1, 2010 has brought us no snow. See? Already a great month. If I wanted snow, I would have stayed in Michigan thankyouverymuch.

Anyway... Today I Am.

Reading: Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew and Successful Container Gardening by Joseph R. Provey. I am envisioning strawberries and fresh oregano, basil and rosemary. I am planning on starting some seeds indoors soon. I am going to try the If you plant it, Spring will come methodology. We'll see how it goes.

Listening To: I am currently obsessed with Train's CD, Save Me, San Francisco. I get to listen to Hey, Soul Sister whenever my adorable sister calls my cell phone. I admit that I have missed a few of her calls while dancing around with the kids to the ring tone. This can be awfully embarrassing at Kroger.

Obsessed With: McCoy Pottery and little flower pots in yellows and turquoise. I have been collecting these little planters whenever I can sneak away to antique stores. My dear sweet Nan had all of her African violets growing on an old trunk in front of her living room window. As soon as I can find suitable African violets, I will start a similar tradition.

Thinking About: Breuklyn. We are struggling with her while she is struggling with reading. Dyslexia has been on our radar for about a year now as we are trying trying trying to find a way to help her at home. She is in tears most mornings not wanting to go to school. She says that she feels dumb and that she isn't able to read like the other kids. From the endless research that I have compiled, it is possible to diagnose dyslexia at 5-1/2 years old. The school contends that they can't do anything until 3rd grade. I can't watch her struggle and fall behind for 2 more years! Even if we could just rule it out, then I could move on to a new technique of teaching her at home, but it seems cruel to be using methods of teaching that she is incapable of benefiting from. Sigh.

Planning To: Make these scented gel paints and make a huge big mess with the kids. Maddux has strep throat and Breuklyn has the infamous stomach virus that has lasted well beyond its normal 24-hour parameter. We are up to our eyeballs in Children's Tylenol, antibiotics and cough drops. Once I Lysol this place from top to bottom, we will be making is messy again. Fun times.

Dreaming Of: My new yellow iPod. My green iPod won't accept any new music and it hurts my soul to delete any of my old music to make way for new music, so Brad decided that a new iPod is exactly what I need. I think he is a genius.

Enjoying: Scrapbooking. I am looking forward to seeing what everyone creates for the Bella Blvd - Jillibean Soup - Nikki Sivils Blog Crawl. (Be sure to tune in March 5th!) It feels so rewarding to sit down and just let my mind stop worrying and let my hands just create. Plus, it is nice to fall is love with the hobby again.

Vowing To: Actually finish a to do list this week. I just keep adding and adding to it. I need to focus. And maybe bake some cookies. Or make a pilgrimage to Starbucks. And match up all of those socks. Oh, and wash my car. And... oh, wait. See? This is impossible!

Working On: 30 Things for My 30th Year Album. Remember my 29 Things? Well, it's time to wrap it up and start again! In a mere 7 days, I will be saying goodbye to my twenties. Eek. I am trying to be a good sport, but it seems a little scary to me. Or maybe a lot scary.

What are you up to today?

Did You Know?

2010-02-25T15:57:00.000-06:00

That Bella Blvd is having a huge big Blog Crawl with Jillibean Soup and Nikki Sivils?? Isn't that cool? I think that it awesome that they are all coming together! Here is what Stephanie has to say:

Consider yourself formally invited....and please be sure to pass the invite on to all your friends too!

It's going to be *awesome*! I'm so excited to be pairing up with some newly found friends and colleagues, Jill from Jillibean Soup and Nikki of Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker. It's going to be *HUGE*!!!! With nearly *50 handmade giveaways* from all our design team members, and *3 large product packs from each company!*

On Friday, March 5^th be sure to visit Bella Blvd, Jillibean Soup and Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker for all the information on where to go next and how to win!

Mark your calenders!!!! It's a date!!! We can't wait!!!!

I am super excited to announce that I will be part of the *50 handmade giveaways*!! I have been happily creating my giveaway over here. It just feels so good to be creating again.

And just because I couldn't resist all of the Spring-iness that is going on in all of the stores, I picked these up to be part of the giveaway as well. I love love love these lip glosses.

Are you getting excited?

Chai Butter Cookies

2010-02-22T14:28:00.000-06:00

I adore chai, in case you aren't aware. When Brad walks in the door and my hair is all crazy, the kids are imitating Nascar around my living room and there is a fire extinguisher sitting on the kitchen counter, he will just nod at me as I make a mad dash for my car. Starbucks is a mere 20 minute drive. 20 minutes until a Venti non-fat Chai Latte is in my happy little hands.

When I saw this recipe on one of my absolute favorite food blogs, Ezra Poundcake , I just knew that happiness was a mere 350 degrees away.

You will need: 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3-4 teaspoons of chai (the contents of 2 bags of tea)* , 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar (be sure that it is fresh or it will sabotage your cookies), 1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup shortening, room temperature, 1-1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar, sifted, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of a good pure vanilla extract.

* the original recipe calls for the contents of one bag of tea, but I thought that I would just go all in with two. I'm a rebel like that.

Be sure to sift together all of your dry ingredients. I know, I know. It's a pain, but it is worth it. I once found a Matchbox car in a bag of flour. I was all upset and ready to call the Flour Powers That Be until a certain 4-year-old started jumping up and down and yelling, "You found it!" I sift to save us all.

This is extremely straightforward. Cream together the shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat on low until everything is completely combined.

Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients. Beat until just barely combined. You can always finish mixing by hand. You don't want to over mix. Cover the bowl and allow to chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, roll into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. For Christmas this year I received an awesome gift from a very special friend of mine. Vanilla sugar. Yum. I thought that this would be the perfect time to try out the sugar that is lightly flavored by whole vanilla beans. I cross-hatched the cookies using a fork dipped in the vanilla sugar.

Bake these at 350 degrees until golden, but not brown. 10-12 minutes. Cool for just a minute and then move them to a cooling rack.

This is the perfect delicately flavored butter cookie. These also freeze extremely well. I have a few dozen in my freezer just waiting for the perfect moment. The question is, when isn't a perfect moment for a perfect cookie?

Proofreading is a Good Thing

2010-02-20T16:13:00.001-06:00

I was sure that Breuklyn would want to go with store bought Valentines this year. We dutifully checked out the Hannah Montana, Disney Princess and Tinkerbell varieties. Breuklyn looked up at me with a look of deep concentration etched into her adorable almost 7-year-old face and said, "Mom, these just aren't as cool as the ones that we made last year." So, with a happy heart she proceeded to dig through all of the buttons, glitter, felt and paper that she could possibly desire to create her class Valentines.

While she rocked out to the Phineas and Ferb soundtrack and set about to her task of 18 Valentines, I sat across from her at the dining room table writing out yet another grocery list. She held up the above Valentine and said, "What do you think mom??? This is for my favorite friend, Alexis." Of course I smiled and told her that it was the best Valentine in the history of Valentine's Day. It was my duty. I asked her to open it so that I could read what she wrote. Inside, she had carefully written, "I lick you a lot."

Classic.

In other news, (which happens to be Maddux's favorite new phrase and we hear it 237 times a day) whomever cut Breuklyn's bangs needs to adjust her scissors or something. Because surely it couldn't have been, ahem, me that cut her bangs like that. Yeah. No way. Wow.

Sometimes...

2010-02-15T22:01:00.000-06:00

Sometimes everything just.falls.apart. It just did. And I didn't know how to put it back together again. But here I am.

Hi.

Take Two of the 12 Days of Cookies!!

2009-12-05T17:29:00.000-06:00

The windows in my kitchen are all fogged over. That could only mean one thing. Well, it could actually mean quite a few things, but since it is December and there is also the distinct smell of Andes Mints, it definitely means that my oven is working overtime baking Christmas cookies. Last year I posted my 12 Days of Cookies and this year I have a few new ones to add. Since it is already December 5th, I had better get posting!

Day 1 : Raspberry Linzer Cookies

These would be so sweet with little Christmas trees in the center.

Day 2: Brown Sugar Praline Cookies

Day 3: Peanut Butter Milk Dud Cookies

Day 4: Orange Slice Cookies

These are amazing. I think that these would be fantastic with gumdrops substituted for the orange slices. Red and green gumdrops would look perfect. This recipe makes about 8 dozen cookies (Courtney!!) so they would be fantastic for a Christmas Cookie exchange.

Day 5: The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookie

I wouldn't freeze the Orange Slice Cookie Dough, but the other 4 would be perfect for freezing. All that you need to do is complete the cookie up to the point where you roll them into balls (or just wrap all of the dough in Saran Wrap and put in a Ziploc bag for the Linzer Cookies) and then freeze individually on a plate in the freezer. Once they are frozen, transfer to a Ziploc bag and leave in the freezer for up to 3 months. The night before you are ready to bake, put the frozen dough in the refrigerator. They will be ready when you are. It's a great way to take off some of the pressure of holiday baking.

What are you baking this year?

Christmas Cards

2009-12-04T16:07:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again! Time for me to make Christmas cards and then send them to absolutely no one. I am so not a Christmas card kind of gal. My mom, on the other hand, mailed out her cards the day after Thanksgiving. No joke. She rocks out the Christmas cards.

I made these cards using my December Mosh Posh kit. I loved all of the fun October Afternoon patterned papers and the embellishments were just perfect for lots of fun cards!

I just love using up all of my scraps of paper to create pictures on my layouts or cards.

I hand cut circles from the patterned papers and then cut them in half to create the shingles for this little cottage. The sparkly tree is made from sticks that I covered in glitter and sequins.

This is my favorite card. I just love everything and anything about Christmas trees.

I drew a Christmas tree onto a piece of white cardstock and cut it out. I then attached all of the folded pieces of patterned paper. The final step was to trim the paper from around the cardstock. I thought it would be a cleaner shape that way.

The October Afternoon Very Merry Wild Cards were perfect for the sentiment that I wanted to portray on this card.

I hand cut the petals and leaves for the poinsettia. I layered the green rick rack on top of the leaves and stapled it all together. I just love the layering.

And those are my Christmas cards! This will be my very last Mosh Posh kit. It was a very difficult decision, but I decided not to try out for the design team this term. I have been with Mosh Posh for 2 years now and I am grateful to Kristen for giving me the opportunity to be a part of her team. Mosh Posh was my very first design team. I will miss working with Brooke, Jenny and Frances!! You guys are the best!! MUAH!

You know I wouldn't leave you without a giveaway!! Just leave me a comment telling me about what you have been doing to get in the holiday spirit and I will draw one winner who will receive a little package from me!! (There will be lots of red, white and green embellishments + a little chocolate, YUM!)

You have until Monday to leave me a comment! Happy Thursday!

Mosh Posh Blog Hop + a Giveaway

2009-11-19T11:06:00.001-06:00

Welcome to another Mosh Posh Blog Hop!!

Every month I look forward to the Mosh Posh kit that Kristen puts together. I have been with Mosh Posh as part of the Design Team for 2 years now and was a subscriber before that. I know that there are lots of kit clubs out there - trust me, I have tried most of them! I love Mosh Posh because of Kristen's awesome customer service and the fun kits that she puts together. I would never be part of a Design Team that I didn't believe in. Kristen was the very first person to put me on a Design Team, so I guess that she must believe in me too!

(November 2007 Mosh Posh layout)

As I was looking through my Mosh Posh layouts, I noticed that I seem to have a slight obsession with using trees for my fall layouts. Just a slight obsession. Oh, and it might not just be in the fall either.

(May 2009 Mosh Posh layout)

(August 2009 Mosh Posh layout)

Alright, are you ready for another giveaway??? I had so much fun decorating my trees for this month's Corn Maze layout that I thought that I should give away some of my favorite embellishments: brads! There are velvet brads, shaped brads, large brads and mini brads. Any kind of brad that you can imagine. Well, except for my Brad.

Hahahahahaha. I crack myself up. Anyway...

For a chance to win these super fun brads, leave me a comment telling me all about your favorite Thanksgiving side dish. I am working on my menu and need some inspiration. You have until Sunday, November 22nd to leave me a comment. I will pick a winner on Monday.

Now, hop along to check out what my fellow Design Team Members are up to! Happy Thursday!!

Brook Magee
Jenny Dziekan
Frances Sylvia

5 Reasons To Love Maddux

2009-11-17T23:14:00.000-06:00

1. He is the absolute best kid in the world to go grocery shopping with. He makes all of the big decisions (Captain Crunch vs. Lucky Charms and apples vs. bananas) so that I can concentrate on not knocking over the displays as he waves his arms enthusiastically while holding on to the back of the grocery cart. I try to take his opinions very seriously because the child eats nothing other than cereal and chicken nuggets, so if he doesn't speak up when he decides that he will slide a banana into his daily routine, the child will surely starve.

2. He is really an 85-year-old man in a 4-year-old's body. His big concerns in life revolve around when he next gets to eat and whether or not it is too early to put on his pajamas.

3. He loves loves loves to talk on the phone. If the child gets to talk to my dad on the phone, his whole face just light up. He sneaks away with the phone so that he talk about "boy stuff" with his grandpa. I will find him later laying in my bed, all tucked in, just chatting away. He likes to discuss what he has eaten that day (are we sensing a food trend, here?), what he is currently wearing and he loves to throw me under the bus whenever possible. Mommy is still in her pajamas, he will whisper conspiratorially and she fed us cookies for breakfast. Can you believe that? I miss the days when my children couldn't rat me out to my parents.

4. Maddux is sweet. I know that there will come a day when he will transform into a stinky teenage boy, but for now he is sensitive, kind and utterly adorable. He loves to sit in my lap and tell me about all of the thoughts that came into his head during the 11 hours that we weren't together while he was sleeping. He likes to say things like, Mommy, I love you more than pancakes. And he loves to get up at 1:00AM to check on me. He will wander into the living room in his bulldog footie pajamas, rubbing his eyes, and he will ask me what I am doing. He will stick around to fold a few towels with me, discuss how his Backyardigans CD is better than whatever music I am listening to or grab a glass of water and then he will head back to bed. Night, Mommy. Love you more than ice cream.

(This picture is from November 17, 2008)

5. He is growing. His pants are too big around the waist, but just the right length. He talks about how much he is going to love Kindergarten and then, in the same breath, asks if I can go with him. When I look at him, I see Bradley. Everything that is good about Bradley, his kindness and easygoing nature, is evident in our sweet little boy.

I let Maddux pick the winner for the ribbon giveaway and he chose:

A Sarasota said...: Mmm, chicken pastry for dinner tonight.
Nice banner!; November 12, 2009 9:56 AM

Please email me at EsteeLynn(at)gmail(dot)com with your address! Have a happy Wednesday everyone!

A Little Bit of Paper & A Little Glue

2009-11-13T12:50:00.001-06:00

I am hosting another contest this month over at Scrapbook.com. This month, all that you need to do to participate is create a layout that uses one predominant shape for your embellishments.

For the above layout you can see that I predominantly used circles. Everything on this layout is from the new GCD Studios Collection, Artsy Urban, that was designed by Melody Ross. Isn't it fun? My favorite part of the collection is that is contains so many different embellishments! There are crocheted flowers, glass brads, chipboard pieces, felt trims, vintage buttons and about a gazillion other embellishments. You can see the whole collection over at the GCD Studios Blog.

This is another GCD Studios layout that I created using the Artsy Urban and the Party It Up Collections. This layout also fits into the parameters of the contest because I used only stars for my embellishments. First, I lined the back of acetate stars with patterned paper. I then used a paint brush to brush Mod Podge onto the edges of the stars. After the glue was just as I wanted it, I dipped the stars into glitter (Pink Paislee Pixie Stix - Licorice, Green Apple and Orange Crush).

The best part of the Scrapbook.com contest is that GCD Studios is graciously giving away 4 of the new Artsy Urban 12" x 12" Quick Page Kits. Awesome. I hope to see you over there!

A Leaf Garland

2009-11-12T10:50:00.000-06:00

As soon as I saw the Cosmo Cricket paper in this month's Mosh Posh kit, I just knew that a leaf garland was in my immediate future.

To make this garland, I first drew two leaves onto a piece of cardstock, one smaller than the other, to use as guides. Using my guide, I cut 15 leaves from felt, using the larger leaf. I then cut 15 smaller leaves from the Cosmo Cricket patterned paper.

I attached the patterned paper onto the felt by stitching a straight line across the two. Nothing fancy, just a straight stitch. Once that part was completed, then came the fun... the embellishing!

I added more details for the leaves, lots of buttons, felt embellishments and brads. This is the fun stuff. If you decide to make a garland, it can be as detailed or as simple as you please. To attach the leaves together, I totally cheated and staples them together. Hee Hee. Simple, yet effective. Voila! A leaf garland!

Since today is the Mosh Posh Blog Hop, you just knew that I couldn't leave you without a prize, right? Today I have 52 ribbons, just for you. I love ribbon and have collected so much of it that I would love to share some with you. All you need to do is leave me a comment telling me what you are having for dinner tonight. Bizarre question, I know, but I am stumped and need some ideas!

You have until Sunday, November 15th to leave a comment. I will announce the winner on Monday.

Be sure to hop along to see my Design Team Members, who have tricks up their sleeves I am sure!

Brook Magee
Jenny Dziekan
Frances Sylvia

Happy Thursday!!

A Day In The Leaves

2009-11-10T15:07:00.000-06:00

I think that the goal of every child should be to have friends who have more leaves in their yard than you do.

By having friends who have ridiculous amounts of leaves already handily raked into a ginormous pile two things are universally true:

a. Playing at a friend's house is always more fun than playing at home, i.e. playing in their leaves would be much more fun than your own lame leaves.

b. If leaf playing is done elsewhere, this allows the mother to not have to rake her own leaves for the entertainment of her children. Or even worse, to have to re-rake the entire yard after her children have decimated the leaf pile. -shudder-

Just saying.

November Mosh Posh Layouts

2009-11-04T16:57:00.000-06:00

I absolutely loved the Mosh Posh kit for November. Cosmo Cricket, Basic Grey and Making Memories all rolled into one gorgeous kit - what's not to love?

To get the scalloped edge for my "Miss You" layout, I traced my largest dinner plate onto a piece of cardstock and cut it out. I then used my Fiskars circle punch to make circles which I cut in half and then placed around the perimeter of the cardstock circle. I glued them down and then added extra tape just because I was impatient. Shocking, I know. It is an easy (and super inexpensive!) way to create your very own shaped paper.

I had a lot of fun with this layout. I hand cut the trees and thought that they needed a little extra something.

Adding brads gave the trees a little extra pop of color and a more textural feel. Another inexpensive way to add depth to a layout.

I just love the colors for this kit. The turquoise just makes me happy.

Don't you think that you would love to win one of these kits?? All that you have to do is go to the Mosh Posh Blog and post a comment for your chance to win your very own November Mosh Posh kit.

You know you want to! Starting on Monday, I will be hosting a Blog Party over at the Mosh Posh Blog and you won't want to miss out on all of the prizes!

Check back tomorrow for lots of yummy Artsy Urban layouts. You just might want to check out the GCD Studios Blog because they are doing giveaways of the brand new Artsy Urban line, which was designed by Melody Ross! I will also be posting my contest at Scrapbook.com tomorrow morning. GCD Studios will be the sponsor and they will be giving away 4 prize packs of the new Artsy Urban Collection! There is just lots of fun paper-y stuff going on! See you tomorrow!

November?

2009-10-30T08:46:00.000-05:00

Remember my epic I love October post? Um, yeah. October didn't turn out quite like I was expecting.
Thanks to this sweet little girl (seen here in her prom picture, hee hee) we now know everything there is to know about abdominal migraines. She also owes me about a month of sleep. I'm going to put it on her tab.

However, October was not a complete loss. In between the Pediatricians, Specialists and Emergency Room visits we managed to squeeze in a few sunny days. A morning at the park was exactly what Maddux was hoping that October would bring. Maddux is always happy, so he is easy to please. A steady supply of Halloween candy and a few mornings at the park are all he really needs in the world.

Breuklyn spent all of October chasing, literally, after Caleb. Breuklyn and her best friend formed the "Chasing Club" which basically consists of chasing a few select boys on the playground. It's all very complicated first grade stuff.

When Brad had lunch with Breuklyn at her school one day, he was horrified to hear his darling 6-year-old being teased by her friends about Caleb being her boyfriend. Poor Brad. I think he is looking into joining the Chasing Club.

I have high hopes for November. Yes, that's right. I am throwing it out into the universe - November is going to be fantastic. It's going to be amazing.

Ooooh, before I forget! - The winner of the Crate Paper giveaway is Lal! Email me at EsteeLynn(at) gmail(dot)com so I can mail your prize out to you!

(PS Kari and Ginger, I haven't forgotten you. Don't give up on me!)

A Crate Paper Giveaway!

2009-10-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

This month's contest over at Scrapbook.com is a Crate Paper Contest. I love Crate Paper products and had a lot of fun creating a fall inspired layout with their Lemon Grass Collection.

I love the pumpkin patch. I am always happy to create fall themed layouts.

I had a lot of fun stitching details onto my leaves. Fun.Fun.Fun.

All you need to do for a chance at winning these Crate Paper embellishments is to leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about fall. If you are our lucky winner, you will win:

Crate Paper Glitter Diecuts - Mia Collection
Crate Paper Glitter Diecuts - Lemon Grass Collection
Crate Paper Glitter Borders - Lemon Grass Collection
Crate Paper Accent Rubons - Lemon Grass Collection
Crate Paper Accent Rubons - Prudence Collection
Crate Paper Rubons - Little Sprout Collection
Crate Paper Chipboard Buttons and Shapes - Blue Hill Collection
+ My favorite Halloween snack, Hershey's Candy Corn Kisses

You have until Friday, October 16th to post a comment. I can't wait to hear about your favorite things about fall!!! Have a fantastic Thursday!

It's OCTOBER!

2009-10-01T10:40:00.000-05:00

Things that make me happy today:

I love love love October. Good things happen in October. There are pumpkin patches to visit in October. The days start to get cooler in October. There is an abundance of cinnamon being used in my kitchen in October. Good things will happen in October. I can just feel it.

My mom will be here in 3 days. That's right. Just 3 more days! In her honor, I purchased this Chrysanthemum, aptly named 'Spicy Cheryl.' (hint: my mom's name is Cheryl.) We talk to Spicy Cheryl every time we walk out the door. Breuklyn asked Spicy Cheryl this morning if she was thirsty and if she got cold during the night. Maddux thinks we should provide her with a blanket. Brad looks at all of us like we are bananas.

I am keeping Sonic in business by purchasing Route 44 diet Cherry Dr. Peppers. It's getting kind of ridiculous.

I got a package in the mail from my dear sweet friend Kelsey at Scrapbook.com. I have been happily working on a new October contest. Super exciting.

Thank you thank you thank you for all of the super sweet comments on my last post! I have read and re-read them at least a dozen times. You guys are the best! I let Paizlee pick a name out of her Halloween bucket for our giveaway winner and she picked...

KariAnnS!!!

Send me an email at EsteeLynn(at)gmail(dot)com with your address!! :) I am disappearing tomorrow morning for a haircut and will be able to sneak into the post office without kids, so I can get these mailed out to you!!!

Happy October everyone!! What are you looking forward to this month?

Do You Know What We Need? A Giveaway, of course.

2009-09-18T12:04:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make. I have had the most awful and ridiculously crazy month and all I want to do is climb into bed and hide. Ever have a month like that? However, the world does not want to stop even when I do. Imagine that. :)

And since I am confiding all of my secrets, I am going to share a scrapbooking confession. I have a basket where I deposit all of my extra embellishments when I am done with a layout or project. I would like to say that I neatly organize all of my extras, but it just doesn't happen. They land in a basket where they glare at me in defiance.

And today I cleaned out the basket. Organizing is good for my soul. So is sharing.

Wouldn't you like to have all of this? There are lots of random buttons, brads, chipboard pieces, felt embellishments, Bingo cards, die cuts, lengths of ribbon, pins and journaling spots. That's right. There are over 200 embellishments here. They need a home.

All you have to do is leave a comment here telling me about something that made you happy today. You have until Friday, September 25th to leave a comment, so let's hear it!! :)

What I've Been Up To This Past Week...

2009-09-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

Commence paper overload.

The contest I am hosting over at Scrapbook.com this month is a School themed contest. You need: at least 2 school-ish pictures, shaped paper for your background and hand stitching somewhere on your layout. You can do that, right???

There is a new challenge up at Mix It Up! I love this picture of the zinnias that I bought at the Farmer's Market. Zinnias are my absolute favorite summer flower. Tulips are my favorite spring flower and mums are my favorite autumn flower, in case anyone is keeping track. :)

The patterned papers on this layout are from the new Plastino and Flirty lines from Bella Blvd.

I finally made Story Stones for my little monsters. They have been carrying them around everywhere. Maddux likes to make up little stories as we wait in the endless pick-up line after school. Per his request I made food for his people, a car and a frog. I'm not sure why the frog was necessary, but it makes him happy.

Along with the layout that I created for the Scrapbook.com contest and the Story Stones, this is another GCD Studios layout from August. I just love those polka dots.

Now I just need to finish up about a gazillion new projects and I will be all caught up - ha!

What are you up to this week?

A New Cupcake, a Little Paper and a Brand New Soccer Uniform

2009-09-01T19:12:00.000-05:00

Fresh Peach Cupcake with Brown Sugar Frosting. Need I say more?

I have a new contest over at Scrapbook.com that I am working on, brand new GCD Studios layouts to share, a new Mix It Up Mixer to show you and new Mosh Posh layouts just waiting to make their appearance. But I can't show you any of them. HA! Isn't that just mean? Until then, I give you this sneak peek. That doesn't seem fair, does it?

Breuklyn had her first soccer game for the season on Saturday. She is thrilled. I am thrilled because I have a friend at the practices and games! Breuklyn's friend is on the team this season, so I now have someone to drink diet Pepsi and gossip with while my child runs up and down the field. It doesn't get any better than that.

I will be back tomorrow with more than just sneak peeks!

The View From My Kitchen

2009-08-27T16:32:00.000-05:00

When my life gets stressful, overwhelming or just plain difficult, I head for the kitchen. I wish that I had inherited my mother's clean until everything sparkles gene, but alas, I did not. Instead, I cook. And cook. And bake. And then I bake some more.

In the early morning light I line ingredients up on the counters and brew myself a ginormous cup of tea. If I am feeling especially ironic, I pour my tea into this mug. I like to glare at it and say, What are you looking at? And then I laugh. It's cheaper than therapy.

Even though it has been a million degrees over here, I decided that Spicy Corn & Chicken Chowder was a brilliant idea. And it was. Fresh corn from the cob, jalapenos from my garden and crispy pieces of thick bacon easily came together in a creamy thick broth. It was even better for lunch the next day, which is the sign of a fantastic recipe. I improvised the recipe as I went along, making tons of changes, but the original recipe was from Gina Neely.

Since Christmas is only 4 months-ish away, I have been baking new cookie recipes to see if they make the cut for my cookie baking craziness. These Brown Sugar Praline Cookies absolutely are as delicious as they look. Not a cookie remained after 24 hours. The Raspberry Linzer Cookies that I posted yesterday also made the cut.

The Symphony Macadamia Nut cookies that I made were also very satisfying, but not quite special enough for Christmas. I am a Christmas Cookie snob. It's true.

Paizlee came in to the kitchen to "help" with the cookies while I was baking and repeated eleventy billion times, "Cookie? Cookie now? Now? Cookie now?" I gave her yogurt. And she was happy.

Although you technically can't eat play doh, it was made in my kitchen. I love homemade play doh specifically because it smells like my childhood. It is such a familiar, comforting smell. One day, perhaps my kids will feel the same way. It is such a fantasticly simple thing for kids to play with.

Plus, just think of all the money I will save on decorating.

And now I am heading back to my kitchen to pull the peach cobbler out of the oven and finish the Coconut Chicken Curry. Wish you were here to share it with us.

Raspberry Linzer Cookies

2009-08-26T08:42:00.001-05:00

These cookies are sure to make a gloomy afternoon just a little bit brighter. I love to serve these with Earl Grey Tea. Yum.

While this recipe is fairly time consuming, the ingredient list is simple:

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs, separated
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds
3/4 cup raspberry preserves

You are probably doubting my math skills since the recipe calls for 2 eggs and my picture shows 4. I took a large plate of these to the Alzheimer's Facility, so I doubled the recipe. The recipe listed above will yield approximately 2 dozen cookies.

First of all, separate your eggs. You will need the yolks for the cookie dough and the egg whites for an egg white wash used later. Set the bowl with the egg whites aside.

Cream together the 1 cup (2 sticks) of the softened butter and 2/3 cup of the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the 2 eggs yolks, one at a time. Make sure that each has been completely combined. Continue to beat until fluffy.

In a medium bowl, sift the 2-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Slowly add to the butter mixture.

Do NOT over mix this. Just mix until the flour has been incorporated. You will be rolling these cookies and will be handling the dough a lot, so you don't want to do to much to it at this point.

Shape the dough into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Once the dough has chilled, break off half (or even a quarter) of the dough and put it onto a surface that has been dusted with confectioners' sugar. At this point, you will need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You will also need a 2-1/2 inch circle cutter and then a smaller one for the center. A doughnut cutter would be great for this, but I used my Nan's biscuit cutter and then a small cookie cutter for the center.

Roll the dough out to 1/8 of an inch. Yeah, I totally guessed. I have no idea how thick 1/8 of an inch is. Thin, right? :)

Half of the circles are going to have a second hole in the center. This will be the top cookie.

This is where you are going to need the reserved egg whites and the ground almonds. Are you ready? Combine the ground almonds (I used Brad's coffee grinder, shhh!) and the remaining sugar.

Brush some of the egg white mixture onto the "top" cookies. (The ones with the second shape cut out) Then sprinkle on some of your ground almond/sugar mixture. Place your cookies on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

You can see the two halves here. The egg wash and almond mixture only go onto the "top" cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Watch these carefully and be sure to check on them at six minutes. The cookies will be lightly browned and smell amazing. Move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once they have cooled, take the bottom of your cookie and spread a few teaspoons of the raspberry jam. You could also use blackberry or apricot if you would like to.

Top with the cookie that has the almond mixture. Enjoy your artwork. Isn't it just too pretty to eat? Well, almost.

Just Find Joy

2009-08-25T13:58:00.000-05:00

This month over at Scrapbook.com I am hosting another 3 x 3 Contest. This month you need to create a layout that has:

- 3 *black and white* photos
- 3 words for your title
- 3 monochromatic embellishments

For my monochromatic embellishments I dug through my stash to see what I could find. I pulled out American Crafts Puffy Thickers, buttons, brads, Pink Paislee Pixee Stix glitter, a few varieties of black ribbon, black DMC floss, Staples and Jenni Bowlin Rub-ons. I was surprised at how much I was able to find.

I used the black glitter on a hand cut star that I cut from a piece of black Bazzill cardstock. I love the fun texture of glitter. Plus, it isn't truly a project until I make a huge mess. Or so says my dear husband.

You know that you want to try this fun contest, right? Right? Check it out over at Scrapbook.com!

We are finally banishing the crazy germs that we have been swimming in around here. What happened to my bottles half full? This week just has to be better! How is your week going?

Bottles Half Full

2009-08-17T14:12:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I spent a much needed break wandering through the antique stores in Bell Buckle. For a million different reasons this past week has been tough and my attitude needed an adjustment. I found happiness in an Iced Chai Latte and dozens of vintage bottles.

After a little bath the bottles were ready to go.

I also found happiness in this antique tray that was once inside of a trunk. I am envisioning piles of vintage Christmas ornaments being displayed. I already have all of my fall decorations out, so in my mind, Christmas is just around the corner. :)

After sorting the bottles and jars into each of the sections...

I filled a few of them with water. Which Paizlee promptly drank. So I filled them with water again.

After a few added sprigs of Limonium, my creation was complete. I love the way that the glass catches the sunlight coming in through my living room window. Happiness, in the form of beams of light, is refracted across the room. This week will be better.

Banana Bread Cookies

2009-08-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

We haven't had a cookie post in a while, so I thought I would take a break from the paper and glue to share this recipe with you. I have been wanting to make this recipe for a long time, but every time I bought bananas they mysteriously got eaten! When I told this to Carolyn, she immediately responded, "Well, your children are part chimpanzee." Truer words have never been spoken.

You will need: 1/2 cup butter, softened, 1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp cardamom (optional), 5 medium ripened bananas, mashed, 2 cups quick cooking oats and 3/4 cup of miniature chocolate chips.

Cream together the 1/2 cup of softened butter and the 1/2 cup of butter flavored shortening until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until well combined.

Add the 2 eggs and 1 tsp of vanilla. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Cardamom isn't an ingredient that most people have on hand, so feel free to leave it out. You could add in nutmeg or even pumpkin pie spice if you wanted to. Add the dry ingredients gradually to your butter mixture.

Do not over mix the dough. You will want these to rise just the slightest bit, so be careful when adding the dry ingredients.

Just a note about the bananas: You want them to be really, really ripe, to the point of the peel being brown even. The sweeter that the banana is, the sweeter that your cookie will be.

Mash the bananas. This is an excellent stress relieving activity. Think about your mother-in-law. Not that, um, I would do such a thing.

Add the mashed bananas, oats and miniature chocolate chips to the dough. Mix until just combined.

Drop by the tablespoon onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Be sure to check them at 10 minutes because they will go from perfectly brown to inedible very quickly.

Remove to a cooling rack. They will get mushy on the bottom if you leave them on your cookie sheet. This recipe should make about 2-1/2 - 3 dozen cookies. Enjoy!

Winners + Mosh Posh Sneak Peeks

2009-08-03T18:57:00.000-05:00

Thank you thank you thank you for all of the comments for my button giveaway! Our winners were randomly chosen (by Breuklyn!) and I tried to match you up with what you wanted! :)

The Playground Button Pack goes to:

Susan said...

What a fun collection all of them were. I would say that I have 2 favs and they are Vintage boy (maybe because I have 6 boys...hmmmm that might be why) and my other fav is Morning Glory (love those colors)

My fav of the buttons would be those bright bold primary colors. I don't generally scrap with primary colors but those buttons jumped right out at me. I love your give aways and your blog.

July 31, 2009 9:59 AM

The Sunflowers Button Pack goes to:

Nancy L. said...

my fave was morning glory!
i love buttons too! my fave are ANY! thanks!

August 1, 2009 12:52 PM

And the Big Top Bitties go to:

Amanda Sevall said...

Morning Glory is my fav... I'm a sucker for blue + green combos! ;)

And to say that I love buttons is a complete understatement!! Great collections you're giving away... I hope I win!!

Have a great weekend! :)

Susan, Nancy and Amanda send me an email at EsteeLynn(at)gmail(dot)com so I can get these out to you!

The Mosh Posh design team will be unveiling the August gallery tonight at 10:00PM EST.

The kit is full of the new June Bug line by BasicGrey. Kristen included some super cute Sassafras Lass Stitched Blossoms.

The message board for Mosh Posh is being revamped, but be sure to check the Mosh Posh Blog for exciting new challenges, sneak peeks and contests. I will be hosting a card challenge next week that will include a fun prize!

I am off to get the kids ready for bed! I hope that everyone is having a fantastic Monday!

Today I Am: August Edition

2009-08-02T21:07:00.000-05:00

I got just a teensy bit slacker-ish with the Today I Am posts, but I am ready for August!

Today I Am:

Reading: On the Road by Jack Kerouac. It's one of those books that theoretically everyone is supposed to have read and I just never got around to it. It's also on my 29 Things list. I am loving it so far. After forcing my way through Faulkner, this is a breath of fresh air.

Listening To: (I can't believe I am going to admit to this) Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong. Christmas music. I know, I know. But, Christmas is only 144 days away. I'm just getting a little, um, jump start.

Obsessed With: Aprons. As soon as I saw this apron on Donna Downey's blog, I have been planning to make one. My problem is that my knowledge of sewing is next to nothing so I am fumbling along with it until I get it figured out. I am sure that you will hear all about it, the good, the bad and the unfathomably ugly.

Thinking About: A brand new school year for Breuklyn. None of her friends from Kindergarten are in her class this year and I am starting to think that this is just what she needs - a fresh start. New kids + a fantastic new teacher = a much happier first grader. I can't believe that the summer is already over and this is her second week of school!

Planning To: Stalk Patrizzia's blog for ideas to help get Maddux ready for school. She has more ideas that I could ever imagine. We are going to practice cutting and glueing, make some story stones and of course we need to try out the pumpkin pie play-doh!! Plus, check out these crayon wallets!!! As soon as I buy some fabric, I will be trying to make these! I personally think that Patrizzia is a genius. :)

Dreaming Of: A little selfish time. With the school year rapidly adding a million things to my to do list and soccer starting soon as well, I am hoping for a little me time. I am hoping to escape to the drive-in movie theater this weekend with some friends. Rumor has it that there will be a double feature of Julie & Julia and The Ugly Truth. My soul needs popcorn.

Enjoying: Paizlee. I made the terrible, awful mistake of teaching her something super annoying/hysterical. It's a classic.

Guess What?
Chicken Butt

It's seems innocent enough, but when heard 5,987 times in one day, it loses its appeal. However, she has the best laught ever and it is absolutely contagious, so we are willing to listen to it all day every day. She has also added her own Paizlee-isms: Guess Why? Butterflies. Guess Who? Woohoo! The cuteness is unstoppable.

Vowing To: Be a big girl and not cry at my dentist appointment on Wednesday. Surely the fact that I haven't been able to eat solid food for a month because of sharp stabbing pains isn't a bad sign, right? The fact that I would rather just live with the pain instead of going to the dentist says a lot about what a huge big coward I am. Thankfully my dentist has a ginormous sign that proclaims to the world, "We cater to cowards." We'll see about that.

Working On: Finding projects that begin with the letter "A" for Maddux this week. I am super excited about the egg carton alligator that we are going to make. Life is always good when there are crafts waiting to be created.

What are you up to today?

Whew! Let's Review, Shall We?

2009-07-31T08:40:00.000-05:00

This has been such a fun week!!! Did you hop along with us? Which collection was your favorite? I stand by my decision that Morning Glory was my favorite...

... or maybe it was Party It Up. Hmmmm, regardless of my favorite I had so much fun checking out all of the blogs right along with you!
If you head over to the GCD Studios blog today one lucky winner will win the entire Summer 2009 Release: Sunny Days, Morning Glory, Vintage Boy and Party It Up! You have until 12:00 PM PST on Sunday, August 2 to leave a comment over at the GCD blog to be entered.
Now, for a little giveaway of my own!

I love buttons. I know, you are shocked, aren't you? I found the most amazing shop on Etsy, LittleRedCottage. She has the cutest ribbons, trims and of course, buttons. I love love love her button packs. I have bought, um, a gazillion buttons and I still check back, ahem, daily to see what else she has! She groups the buttons in these adorable little groups and gives them cute names. Really, there is no way that I can not buy them. These are the only buttons that I use on my layouts because she has any color that I could possibly need.

In the picture above, from left to right: Sunflowers Button Pack, Playground Button Pack and Big Top Bitties. All you have to do for a chance of winning one of these button packs is to leave a comment here telling me which new GCD Studios release was your favorite. Oh, and tell me which button pack would be your fave. You have until Midnight on Sunday to enter! I will announce the winners on Monday! :)

Now, I am off to check out the Pink Poodle Button Pack! Have a fantastic weekend!!!!

GCD Studios Blog Hop - Morning Glory!!

2009-07-30T09:52:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone!!! It has been so much fun hopping along with you this week!! I am thrilled to share with you our fourth new collection... Morning Glory! I know I said that Party It Up was my favorite collection but I lied. I am in love with any and everything turquoise, so this is my new favorite. I'm allowed to change my mind, right?

I don't know if you can see it clearly, but the texture of this paper is amazing. If you look closely, you can see that the paper is embossed because of the design on the back. It is a great way to show texture on any layout.
Sigh. Greens, aquas and turquoise... it really doesn't get any better than this. It has inspired me to go to Lowe's this weekend and pick up some paint samples. I am thinking that my room needs a makeover and this is just the color palette that I am looking for. Thanks for the inspiration, GCD!

Thanks for stopping by here today! Be sure to come back tomorrow because I will be giving away three button packs that I got from my favorite button store on Etsy. You can never have enough buttons, right? Your next destination is Beatriz's blog. I am sure that she has some inspiration for you today!! Have a fantastic day!! :)

GCD Studios Blog Hop - Sunny Days

2009-07-29T09:52:00.001-05:00

It is gloomy and raining at my house today, so I was grateful for some Sunny Days!! I love the bright colors and I love that the "B" side offers a coordinating shade of solid paper.

One of my favorite ways to use patterned paper is to create flowers so that I always have the perfect matching embellishment for my layouts. I had so much fun making all of these lollipop flowers! I dug into my stash of brads to create easy centers for the flowers.

I decided to use the hole punch that I have in with my office supplies. I love the perfect little circles mixed in with the hand cut unevenness of the larger circles.

I hope that you are having a sunny day!! Head over to Renee's blog to see what she's up to! Happy hopping!!

GCD Studios - Party It Up Collection

2009-07-28T09:34:00.001-05:00

Hi! Happy Tuesday and welcome to Day Two of the GCD Studios Blog Hop!! :)

Party It Up is my favorite of the four brand new releases. I love the vibrant colors and how seamlessly I was able to blend them all together. In addition to the 5 gorgeous standard patterned papers, this collection has 4 shimmer patterned papers and 3 glitter patterned papers. I love that.

My most absolute favorite part of the collection is actually the back of the papers! Each of the 12 different designs has an absolutely adorable polka dot design on the back. I love love love polka dots, so this collection is easy to love.

I can't wait to hop along with you today and see what the rest of the design team has created! You are almost at the end of the hop today, so you'd better hop off to see what Lynn has created! See you tomorrow!

GCD Studios Blog Hop - Vintage Boy!!

2009-07-27T09:29:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Day One of the GCD Studios Blog Hop!! We are really excited about the new releases and we hope that you are too! I fell in love with the Vintage Boy collection because of the fun colors and patterns. I love the diamond patterns, the stars and the adorable jacks. Could there be a better boy collection? The best part of the collection is that 6 of the 12 designs have heat embossing on the pages, which gives it great texture. Love it.

Would you like to be one of three lucky people who win this collection today? Then you need to hop along to the next blog! Go and check out my friend Angie Hagist and she will direct you along your way. Happy hopping and I will see you tomorrow!

Altered Window Frame

2009-07-24T15:42:00.000-05:00

I am in love with this window frame. I bought the frame (actually, two of them!) from Scrapbook.com. The frames are made by Fancy Pants Designs. The opening on this window frame are 5" x 7" which is the perfect size to allow for a picture and a few extra embellishments.

The frame was white (they also come in black), but I first painted it using Ranger Ink Semi-Gloss Acrylic Paint in Dash of Red and then used Ranger Ink's Crackle Paint on top. Be patient if you try this technique. You will doubt yourself and regret painting it, but it needs to dry completely. Then you will LOVE it.

My mom uses a lot of burgundy, cream, tan and browns in her decorating, so I knew that sepia toned pictures and Jenni Bowlin products were just what I needed.

I used lots and lots of Jenni Bowlin patterned papers, rhinestone buttons and pearl flowers. I also found this awesome vintage eyelet lace on Etsy.

I had so much fun creating one for my mom, I am now stalking all of the new CHA releases to find the perfect paper for my very own picture frame!! I am thinking that the Crate Paper - Cottage Collection or the Cosmo Cricket - Earth Love Collection might be a perfect fit for my living room. Sigh. So many options! :)

Mix It Up - A Monochromatic Layout!

2009-07-22T10:24:00.000-05:00

It's time for a new Mixer over at Mix It Up! This is a color challenge: create a monochromatic layout using white. I know it sounds overwhelming, but I promise, this will get your creativity going!

I had a lot of fun digging out white embellishments from my stash. I used a white vinyl thicker for the title, that I covered in Pink Paislee Pixee Stix glitter. I just love the pop of turquoise against the white.

I have had these Heidi Swapp flowers for ages. A little embroidery floss, a button and a few Basic Grey Bling it On dots makes it an updated perfect embellishment for this layout.

My favorite part of creating this layout was sorting through all of Nan's old buttons. I love finding a special purpose for her collection of buttons.

You have until August 4th to create a layout for this challenge! One winner will receive a $40.00 gift certificate to NoelMignon.com. I hope that you will play along!

Cousins

2009-07-20T19:11:00.000-05:00

This is my beautiful niece, Ava. Isn't she adorable with that curly hair?

One of the perks of going to Virginia was that I got to see my brother, Del, and his family. My kids were thrilled to hang out with Ava. (But can you believe that Carolyn was in Michigan while I was in Virginia!!??)

Ava is 2 months older than Paizlee, so it was super cute to see them together.

I was never close to any of my cousins, so I think it would be so sweet for the kids to be close to Ava. Plus, it's just so cute to watch them all run around together. Adorable-ness quadrupled.

A View From the Backseat

2009-07-17T16:09:00.001-05:00

Brobee was super excited to go on a road trip. Just look at that smile. This was an hour into our trip, 5:00AM.

3 hours, 6 packages of fruit snacks, a bag of apple slices and 14 peanut butter crackers into the vacation.
5 hours in. Listening to Laurie Berkner on my iPod.

8 hours. Still enthusiastic.

11 hours and on the lookout for a 7-Eleven. I would trade in one of my children for a Banana Slurpee. Why don't they have 7-Elevens in Tennessee?

In our excitement we didn't actually take a picture once we arrived. Picture us being excited.

They were ready to jump right back in the next morning to head to the beach. They are such good little travelers.

I am so excited for the weekend. I just got a box from the UPS guy with the all new GCD Studios collections, so I am hoping to be able to scrapbook. What are your plans?

July Mosh Posh Layouts!

2009-07-16T18:55:00.001-05:00

I had so much fun with the Mosh Posh kit this month. I adore anything and everything that October Afternoon creates, so this kit was a huge hit.

I have been having so much fun lately with using shapes as a background for my layouts. I love the play of color against the cardstock.

I just had to make a birthday card for my special 4 year old. He thought it was cool that I made it just for him. How sweet is it when a child appreciates a handmade card more than a store bought one? It made me smile.

I think the world would be a better place if we could all get a handmade card every now and then. Don't you think?

We are home from vacation after 13 and a half hours in the car. It was SO worth it! We had an amazing time and I can't wait to upload all of my pictures! What have you been up to?

... And We're Off!!

2009-07-09T18:29:00.000-05:00

Brad had Chinese food for lunch today. And this was his fortune.

He stuck the fortune in his wallet and brought it home to me. Awww, what a guy. He is so excited for our road trip to Virginia that he can hardly stand it. The 12 hours there and 12 hours back trapped in the car with the kids isn't even phasing us. That is how excited we are.

Be back sooooooon!

(Did you like how I snuck in a little Mosh Posh in the background? The July reveal is tomorrow night!)

Mix It Up + GCD + The Jonas Brothers

2009-07-08T10:04:00.000-05:00

I absolutely could not think of a title for today's blog, can you tell?

Mix It Up!! has the new Mixer up on the blog this morning! The challenge this month is to use a picture that is at least 20 years old. I was excited about this challenge because I never ever scrap older pictures. The picture that I used is from my 5th birthday. I just love my crazy long pigtails!

This is the amazing sketch that Juliana created for us. I loved the scalloped edge and just knew that I wanted to use that in my layout.

You need to try this challenge!!! You have until July 21 at 9:00PM EST to create a layout using this sketch and a picture that is at least 20 years old. One winner will be chosen to win a $40.00 gift card to Noel Mignon! You know you want to play along!!!

Over at GCD Studios you can see the BRAND NEW summer collections! I love the grungy look of the Vintage Boy collection. There are the cutest patterns ever in this line! I am envisioning lots of fun layouts for Maddux!

Another new collection is Sunny Days which is full of summery colors. This is such a beautiful collection. GCD Studios will be unveiling the other two brand new collections over the next two days, so be sure to check back!

And now I am off to download new music to my iPod for the loooooooong road trip! Brad says that he is instilling a strict No Jonas Brothers rule. Sigh.

3 Days And Counting...

2009-07-07T13:39:00.001-05:00

Until we leave for vacation! We haven't had a family vacation in, um, years. Years! My to do list is a million miles long and the pattern seems to be: check one thing off, add three more.

One of the things that I have been working on is Mosh Posh projects for July! I love October Afternoon, so it is easy to love this kit.

What are you up to today?

Watermelon Lemonade

2009-07-06T22:02:00.000-05:00

I have discovered the most amazing thing in the whole entire world. Watermelon Lemonade. One of my favorite bloggers, Smitten Kitchen, posted this recipe and I just knew it would be perfect for the Fourth of July.

I quadrupled the recipe because I just knew it would be amazing and it was just enough for one pitcher of wonderful-ness.

You will need:

1 cup (8 ounces) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 cups (16 ounces) fresh watermelon puree. I just threw the watermelon chunks in my trusty blender. Then I poured it into my sieve. You wouldn't think that watermelon would be so pulpy but it absolutely is.
1 cup (8 ounces) simple syrup. Smitten Kitchen's recipe called for approximately 3/4-ish cup of simple syrup, but I like mine a little sweeter. You definitely need to make your own simple syrup for this. Trust me.

3 cups of cold water + additional ice.

Stir together all of your ingredients and you are in the watermelon lemonade business. Yum.

How was your 4th of July weekend??

July 3 x 3 Contest!

2009-07-03T10:51:00.001-05:00

I am hosting a contest over at Scrapbook.com this month! It is called the July 3 x 3 Contest. You should most definitely play along! Summertime Snuggle is the layout that I created as an example for the contest. Don't you just love American Craft's bright color combinations?

You need to create a layout that has (at least):
- 3 different Patterned Papers
- 3 buttons
- 3 photos
+ you will need to link to at least 3 products from the Superstore.

Three winners will be randomly chosen to receive a prize pack valued at $75.00. What are you waiting for?? Go! Be creative! :)

Mix It Up!!

2009-07-02T21:01:00.001-05:00

I am super excited to have been asked to join the Mix It Up!! Design Team. Melanie Blackburn creates some awesome bi-weekly Mixers and the uber-talented Juliana Michaels creates the amazing sketches. It is fun.

For the DT Call Melanie posted this tide pool image for inspiration along with...

this sketch. It would have been impossible to not find inspiration here.

I had fun with the bright colors and I have been dying to use the Bungle Jungle line from Sassafras Lass. You should check out the blog! Mixer 23 is up and you have until July 7th to create a layout and be entered into the drawing!

I am off to tackle the laundry! What are you up to this week?

Maddux Turns Four!

2009-06-30T21:53:00.000-05:00

For Maddux's birthday he had a very simple list of demands. #1. A countdown until his actual birthday. We started at 68 days before June 28th. Holy cow we have been counting down forever!

Demand #2. Blueberry pancakes.

Demand #3. Monster/Dinosaur rain boots. (Thanks, Mom!!)

Demand #4. A Brobee birthday cake. It's huge. It's green. It was perfect.

My little guy is four. It's hard to believe. This year he got Matchbox cars, a Razr scooter and Legos for his birthday along with the rain boots. No more Little People or Diego figurines. His toys this year just seemed so grown up.

When asked what he wanted, he said: "I want a box. A big box. And when you open the box, action figures jump out at you. THEN you have to chase them or they chase you! Can you get that for me, mom?"

I love that about him. His crazy imagination. That is just one of the many things that I love about him. I am so lucky to have such sweet kids. So lucky.

It's Summer at My House

2009-06-27T09:57:00.000-05:00

These 95 degree+ days are causing my water bill to skyrocket. But really, when the kids are just so dang cute in their bathing suits, what else would we possibly be doing?

Awwwwwwww...

2009-06-20T23:08:00.000-05:00

While playing in the pool yesterday Breuklyn announced, "It's time for a group hug!!" Maddux ran over to her and then said to Paizlee, "Come on, Paiz, there's room for one more!" There's room for one more.

I love these guys.

Father's Day Layout

2009-06-19T14:24:00.001-05:00

Well, I posted a Father's Day card, so now it's time for a layout! This layout is up today over at the GCD Studios Blog. It is made using GCD Studios Debonair Collection patterned papers. I think that the Debonair Collection just screams for a masculine layout. I love this picture of Maddux and Brad. I love their relationship. There is definitely something special about a dad and his daughters, but there is also something special about a man and his son. So sweet.

We are cleaning up after a play date and I am getting ready for a girls night out! We are going to see The Proposal tonight and I am super excited! What are you up to this weekend?

Otherwise Known as a Mohawk

2009-06-17T22:30:00.001-05:00

This is Maddux. This is Maddux with his beloved Mo-Hog. I guess that it would be more of a Faux-Hog, but you get the point.

Father's Day is Fast Approaching!

2009-06-15T15:22:00.001-05:00

Over at the GCD Studios Blog Heidi is hosting another challenge! She is challenging you to create a Father's Day card! Which is something that we need to do, right? For once in my life I am early and have already finished one! :) You have until Tuesday at Midnight PST to link a card over at the GCD Studios blog. One lucky winner will win a prize from GCD Studios!!!

What are the men in your life getting for Father's Day?

Brad will be getting the customary breakfast in bed with Apple Raisin French Toast Casserole, Sausage and orange juice. The kids bought him golf balls and I got him a new Tiger Woods hat. Nothing fancy, but I think it will be the perfect day. What will you be doing?

June Mosh Posh Challenge

2009-06-12T10:56:00.000-05:00

I am hosting the June Mosh Posh Challenge over at the Mosh Posh blog!

The challenge is to use this vintage ad for inspiration. I loved the blocks of color and the rounded edges, so I knew just what I wanted to do. I also made a card, which you can see over at the Mosh Posh blog.

I think you should hop over there and check out the challenge because there is an awesome prize for one lucky winner!!! See you over there!! Oh, and have a great weekend!! It is finally the weekend!!!!! :)

Garden Excitement + Lots of Fun Scrappy Business

2009-06-10T17:53:00.000-05:00

I have been stalking my garden. Every morning I run outside to check everything out. You know, in case anything exciting happened overnight. The only exciting thing that has happened was that the neighbor's cat killed a blue jay and kindly hid him under the zucchini leaves. I wasn't expecting that kind of excitement. And I returned the kindness by returning the bird to my neighbors. I am just that kind of neighbor.

There is just something so ridiculously satisfying in watching things grow. I have enjoyed sharing these tiny moments with the kids.

They are also exhibiting more of an interest in eating vegetables since they have had a hand in helping them grow. If Maddux will eat just one vegetable, then this whole venture will have been a success.

Besides stalking my garden, I have been busy scrapbooking. There are lots of fun things going on!

GCD Studios is holding an awesome contest! Heidi will be choosing a winner every Wednesday throughout the summer! All you have to do is become a Follower of the GCD Studios Blog. If you click on over to the GCD Blog, Heidi will explain what you need to do!

Mosh Posh is holding another Guest Designer Contest! Brook has all of the details for you over at the Mosh Posh Blog. I will be hosting another Challenge (with an awesome prize!) over there next week, so be sure to check back!

Scrapbook.com is having a fun contest this month, hosted by yours truly. There are two ways to win! And three winners will be randomly selected to win prize packs valued at $75.00!

Be sure to check everything out! (and now I am off to stare at my garden... )

Lemon Blackberry Cupcakes

2009-06-05T09:18:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday my dear, sweet Nan turned 80. I knew that I wanted to make something special for her. Last year I made lemon cupcakes for her birthday, but I wanted to make them extra special this year. An extra special lemon cupcake with a blackberry filling. Yum.

I love the sunlight in this picture. And I love that my rocking chair is just sitting their waiting for me. This is one of those recipes that is good for your soul. I know, I know, you're rolling your eyes at me, but I haven't felt so at peace with myself in months as I felt while making these. It just felt right.

I found the original recipe on an absolutely fabulous blog called Love and Olive Oil. I just made a few small changes from her recipe.

For 24 cupcakes, you will need:
2- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup oil
2 cups full fat coconut milk
4 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
4 teaspoons lemon juice.

For the lemon buttercream:
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of butter flavored shortening
6-ish cups confectioners’ sugar (Don't you love it when I am exact?)
5 tablespoons lemon juice (or more to taste)
3 teaspoon lemon zest
Yellow Wilton coloring (optional).
If you are looking for something less lemon-y you can cut back on the lemon juice and use milk to thin out the confectioner's sugar. I just used lemon juice.

For the fruit filling: After searching 3 local grocery stores and finding nothing but moldy and sad looking blackberries, I caved and used a fancy seedless blackberry jam. If you have better luck than I did, you can make your own preserves. (directions are on the Love and Olive Oil blog)

Alright. Grab a large mixing bowl. Go ahead. I'll wait. Oh, and you might want to preheat your oven to 350 degrees while you are at it. Sift the dry ingredients into your bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together with a whisk.

To your dry ingredients add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Mix with the whisk to thoroughly combine.

A side note about the abundance of lemon zest and juice. I bought one of bags of lemons at the store because that was my only option. It took approximately a dozen lemons to acquire all of the zest that I needed. (AND just in case you were wondering, lemon rinds do not keep neighborhood cats out of your garden, contrary to what the internet wants you to believe.)

In another bowl, combine your wet ingredients: oil, coconut milk, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Form a well in the center of your dry ingredients.

Gently pour the wet ingredients into the well.

Mix together until relatively smooth and there are no huge big lumps.

Pour the batter into 24 cupcake liners, filling the liners approximately 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Move these immediately onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, you can prepare your lemon buttercream.

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, you will need to take a paring knife and cut a small cylinder out of the top of each cupcake.

Fill each little hole with the seedless blackberry jam, blackberry preserves or any other berry flavored concoction that you can come up with. Raspberry, strawberry or black raspberry flavored anything would be great in these.

Then replace the little piece that you cut out. This is why you absolutely need to have frosting on these, because that isn't pretty. The goal of all cupcakes should be to be pretty, don't you think?

And these are definitely pretty. Enjoy!

The Most Random Post Ever...

2009-06-02T18:58:00.002-05:00

Are you ready? Here begins the most random post ever...

GCD Studios Sneak Peeks... Layout using the Bright Skies Collection

Layout using my favorite collection, Canta Collection

Layout using the Debonair Collection

Today is Nan's 80th birthday. I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with her to celebrate...

... and eat Lemon - Blackberry cupcakes.

Over at Scrapbook.com I am hosting a June Contest! To participate in the contest, you need to create a scrapbooking tutorial. You can see my example over at my Scrapbook.com blog.

Alright, is that enough randomness for one day? You were warned!

What are you up to?