The Happy Hut

Hungry Planet

2008-09-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

The Hungry Planet by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio
I checked this book out at the library this week and I have had a hard time putting it down. It is a book about 30 families all around the world and what they eat in a week. It is amazing how different we all are. The other thing that has struck me is how some have so much and some have so little.

I think about my own kitchen and feel guilty over the waste that sometimes happens. Especially when I think about how some people on the planet have to struggle for every drop of water and every morsel of food.

I wonder how much reading this book will change the way I look at the food we have and if it will help me and my family take care of the resources we are so fortunate to have.

I am asking myself how I can make a difference...

I encourage you to try to find this book at your library. It is a lovely book and my children have poured over the pictures.

Postal Presents From My Friend Henny

2008-09-08T18:22:00.001-07:00

I had the most wonderful present come in the mail from my friend Henny from Indonesia. It was two beautiful pieces of Batik fabric from her country. I can't wait to make some wonderful things with them. They are so pretty.

The blue is a printing batik fabric is called “batik cap” (printed by the machine.) The flowers on it are so cheery and happy. I want to make something for both Hope and myself out if.

The grey fabric is a “batik tulis”, it means someone really draw the motif by hand in a cotton fabric. The grey one is positively gorgous. It is hard to show how detailed it is. I plan to make something only for myself because I want to treasure the fabric forever :)

Henny was so sweet and wrote out how to care for each piece of fabric. Which I am so glad she did so that I don't harm it.

Even the bag that the material came in was interesting to Hope who wanted to store her treasures in it.

She also included the prettiest bookmark. I had to store the bookmark up high because Hope ran off with it as soon as she saw it. She called it "treasure." It really is... The gold embossing makes it all shiny and sparkling.

Best of all she sent me the cutest little notecard that she had quilled herself. She is so incredibly talented. I love this card so much. It is so cheery and I love to look at it when I am sitting at my desk.

I love that we met in blog land. It would be so wonderful if she could come to visit. I would love to laugh with her about how much we have in common, even though we live so far apart.

Henny has two wonderful blogs. One is about fun things like crafts and things she likes and the other is all about family and kids.
http://art-craft-henny.blogspot.com/
http://hennyssite.blogspot.com/

Thank you Henny... It really is the sweetest kindest thing ever... <_>

Little Pink Cast

2008-09-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged or read blogs in weeks... When Hope went on a trip with daddy she fell and broke her elbow... I have been driving back and forth to the doctor which is an hour away... She will be getting off her cast in the beginning of October. It is amazing how something so small can disrupt the way a family works.

Hopefully this week I will get back to blogging and sewing. I can't wait to see what I have been missing :)

Little Room in the Closet

2008-08-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

When Hope was ready to move into a room of her own, there wasn't a spot for her with the other kids, so I decided to make her a room in my walk-in closet. My neighbor had given me the idea when she made a little nursery for her newborn... It was a big job to remove all the things that had accumulated in there... Somehow, there was way more then just clothes in there :)~

Then I took off the door and hung curtains on pressure rods so that I could close them when she is sleeping.

I used a toddler bed with her old crib mattress. Because there is an angled wall in the closet, the bed had to be built in place.

I made her bedding by cutting a twin quilt in half and binding it with blanket binding. She wanted a princess bed so I hung a set of pink curtains from the rod that used to hold my clothing. They can be closed for a little hideout effect if she is in the mood for a fort. A little step stool also doubles as a night stand for her to put things on.

I hung a floor cloth on the wall, that I had painted a long time ago, above the bed.

A bug nightlight from IKEA has a nice glow in the middle of the night...

I used a pressure shower rod to hang her clothing from above the shelving along the top of the closet.

I used bins with their lids removed for extra clothing storage...

The built-in shelving made a nice place to store toys and books...

Including her tea tray with her tea set... which is always in use :)

This has been a wonderful way to give Hope her own space and it is very easy to keep clean.

Getting Rid of Clutter

2008-08-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hope has been gone for five days and I thought I would sew and sew and sew.... However, I made one outfit and realized that it wasn't as fun to sew when she wasn't here to try things on. Things don't look the same on the hanger:)~

So I decided to go on a massive throwing & cleaning out spree instead. So far I have gotten rid of this much clutter (not including the bags and bags I threw out in the trash bin.) I even took apart my bed and cleaned and vacuumed under it. When I cleaned under Hopes bed I found a large collection to gummy bears that had hardened like rocks...

I am going to continue on today and tomorrow... It feels so good... I don't know why I let clutter build up so much...

Fun Books From the Library

2008-08-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

In the middle of this week, Hope will be heading on a road trip with her daddy. I plan on using my toddler-free time very wisely. I have so much sewing to do. I want to make new curtains for the living room. I have the fabric forever. It is just a lot of material to work with when someone with little fingers is running all over my sewing area.

Today at the library I found these fun books. I want to try to use some of the ideas from them when I am working on my Wardrobe Refashion clothes.
Fabric Jewelry by Teresa Searle

The New Crewel by Katherine Shaughnessy

I am hoping to get a lot of sewing done!!!

I also want to work on a time schedule for my family for fall... We usually do a lot better with a plan for our time then when we just go about things willy-nilly. If any of you follow schedules I would love some tips on planning fun things into our schedule. It seems like the fun family things are the first to get skipped when we are just running all over...

County Fair

2008-08-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

We visited our county fair on it's last day. I hate to admit it but we went mostly because of the food :)

We didn't even go near the carnival rides. Hope had so much fun riding on the pony rides. She was so serious when she was on the pony's back and as soon as she was off she wanted to go again.

The animals were a lot of fun...The baby pigs were so cute... Mama pig... just laid there sleeping.

Hope didn't want to leave the miniature horse... They were so cute and they would come right up to be petted.

I was surprised at how brave she was when she was watching the draft horses. She was barely as tall as their knees:)

I am glad we went... It brought back a lot of memories of being little.

The War in My Sewing Area

2008-08-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

I have been sewing since I was around 5 and I am turning 41 next month.... I have done a lot of sewing along the way... My mom started me out... with little scraps and string and yarn... Then I made simple items like aprons.

Then I learned a very high end professional sewing manor from a woman in our neighborhood. She was our not only my neighbor, but my 4-H leader and she was very strict. By the age of 10 or 11 I could put in a long zipper, make my own bias tape, sew buttonholes and create a pleasant outfit. She was extremely fussy about trimming strings, as well as, keeping the area very clean.

When I was 14, I went to work with a woman who created cheer leading outfits. I learned how to create retail outfits from measurements and how to block pieces. While I learned a lot of tricks of the trade, I also learned a lot of bad habits when I was sewing there. Speed was very important and we were told to throw our strings to the ground. If a mistake was made it was set aside for another time of the day. I was not to stop overall production to fix an item. It would slow us down to much.

Later when I was in high school and later I worked in theatre as a costume maker and I learned so much about design. How to use fabric to its greatest advantage.... You will hear me say along the way how important the hang of the fabric is in order to make a lovely item. I also learned there is nothing I can't sew.

I have sewn a great deal over the years and I have created many patterns or altered patterns severally.

Here we are up to now my current sewing style... and there are times when I am sewing that I feel I have a little sewing devil on one shoulder, hurrying me along, encouraging me to through scraps of material, paper and bits of string to the ground... After all it can be cleaned up later. My little devil tries to convince me to take shortcuts on more important issues as not ironing as I sew or not fixing a tiny mistake because no one will notice...

On the other shoulder I have sewing angel. Telling me to keep my pins in the cushion. To iron absolutely every time. To be religious about cutting every little string... My sewing angel tells me to put my scissors away and to keep my rotary cutter out of the hands of children... She tells me to measure and then measure again to keep the frustrations of mistakes at a minimal...

There are times when I feel bad about the trail of string and scraps that I have thrown to the ground... I also feel guilty when I get impatient and throw away a small scrap rather then recycle it.

I guess you can say.... I am sew good and sew bad... Are You?

Frustration

2008-08-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

I have been very discouraged...

Somehow, the last few weeks have left me spinning around in circles, wondering what I have been doing... I have not been able to complete anything, read anything or keep anything clean... Plus my plants aren't watered...

Usually I follow a list to get things done... but my list has remained blank. I usually can accomplish an incredible amount of things in a day... Now I feel slightly off kilter... I feel like I am blocked... I need to figure out what is causing all these bumps in the road... but where do I start? My girlfriend Tamara would say... If you don't know where to start... Start anywhere... I guess that is what I need to do... But it all seems like too much...

Here is one of the questions that roll around in my head... "Is trying to go green suppose to be so hard?" "How do I get a simple life when things seem so complicated? "

At least tomorrow is another day :)
I am sorry I haven't had fun blogs... or interesting tid bits... there are little piles of ideas just waiting to be finished.... Good stuff is coming soon :)

Yummy No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-07-24T00:46:00.000-07:00

This is such a yummy recipe that I found on
Coconut & Lime
http://coconutlime.blogspot.com/2008/02/no-bake-peanut-butter-oatmeal-cookies.html

You have to try these... they are so easy... and they help me to use up things that are building up in my pantry. I really hope you try them... If you love peanut butter and oats.... you will think this is a yummy one to combined:)

My First Award

2008-07-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

My dear blogging friend Henny has awarded me with this wonderful award...

It is such a wonderful privilage...

Thank you Henny :)

New dress...

2008-07-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

Another refashioned dress... This skirt was from a thriftstore free box... I love how it feels soft and worn... I plan to do some needlework on the bottom... I just haven't decided what it will look like....

My Notebook

2008-07-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

My black notebook is a wonderful place for me to keep my creative ideas. I used to start and stop notebooks as my moods changed... Instead of using the same one. I lost a lot of ideas that way. Then one day I decided to force myself not to change notebooks just because my book had become less then perfect.

(Coffee Spill)

Inside have drawn ideas from library books. I write the title, author, and call number. That away I can find more information if I need it or need to give credit to the creator of the original idea.

(Rough Drawings with Ideas)

I put my sewing measurements and notes about patterns I have designed. That way I know what needs to be done the next time I sew it

(Little Patterns or drawings for Shrinky Dinks)

I keep thinking I need to write down ideas I see on the internet, along with the website, but I haven't gotten around to being that organized. There are times when I barely get to read my blogs are sit down with my computer. I am afraid if I added something to it I would never get things done. However, I think it is a good idea :)

Little Linen Remake

2008-07-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Another refashioned piece of clothing finished.

This little top was made out of a linen blouse from the laundry room free box...

I like the little embroidery flowers:)

The Final Outfit for the Applique Bird

2008-07-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of trying to use up old fabrics and at the same time I am trying to make clothing out of old clothes by refashioning them. I have been wanting to make something out of this old fabric from the thrift store for awhile. I thought it would make a really cute little swing top for Hope to run around in... but when I opened it up it had some little holes in it...This should have made me stop in my tracks.. but instead I marched on and cut the pattern out around the little moth bites...

That would have been fine if the problems stopped there... but instead I discovered the fabric was so stretchy if I wasn't careful it would be all wonky and pulled... Very aggravating...Still I march on... I made this pocket that I showed in my Applique Bird Post

http://shellyshut.blogspot.com/2008/07/me-and-applique-bird.html

I also made a little matching button.

Finished Project... It wrinkles almost as soon as it is ironed. Quite maddening... But on the bright side bird is cute :)

Hey we have a mo-mato

2008-07-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

We have tomatoes... Our porch gets sun only until 1 pm... so when I put tomatoes in Hopes garden this year I knew we might not get any tomatoes at all... but we do... Hope has been guarding her little hoard of mo-matoes ... waiting for them to turn red... One of our plants didn't make it...

I haven't pulled it out... but it definately is sick... and needs to go... but the plant that was created (hybrid) is beautiful...

I want one of these little birds so bad...
They are adorable...

http://annwood.net/blog/2008/07/13/camp-wapameo-for-birds/

On Friday Hope goes to a specialist to see if he can figure out what is wrong ... I hope it is something simple...

I have been a busy girl...

2008-07-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

Some of you have already seen the little dress shirt that I was working on for my wardrobe refashion... but I will show it again here so you know why I haven't been sharing all the happenings around here... This little remodel... had everything go wrong that could... but here it is...

...
These pants were made from a shirt... they were much easier...45 minutes:)~

She loves the pocket... I was a natural part of the shirt...

We started potty training here... and it has been a fairly rough road here... I know I have been through this four other times, but I don't remember it being so much work... I would love to have as many tips as you have to offer...

A sandbox for Apartments

2008-07-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

We live in an apartment... so our backyard consists of a nice back porch where we can have a little garden and play... This is the sandbox that I made last year. It consists of a cover with a locking lid... this is important because I don't always want to be cleaning up sand... and if it is open all the time it just invites a mess.

Inside the box there are hidden river rocks and glass rock "treasure."

(Sifting sand for treasure.)

We use a watering pot to add water... Which is even more fun...

Beware: This can be messy if left unsupervised... but it is manageable...

A screen door helps keep the mess on the porch. A broom easily sweaps up the whole mess and back goes the sand into the box...

("Can I come in mommy...")

Smokey Outside

2008-07-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

I am so tired of smoke... ick...

New Favorite Shirt Dress Pattern

2008-07-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite little shirt dress pattern... McCall's #5458
It went together so easily...

This is not a dress... However she didn't want to put on leggings in the heat so in these pictures it looks like a short dress... This fabric is from Tahiti and I got it at the thriftstore for a dollar. I love the way it feels... I wish I had yards and yards of fabric like this in many prints and colors, because it feels wonderful and is so smooth to sew on...

(Miss Drama)

(Looking down at her shoes)

("Princess Shoes stolen from my closet")

Hope Update: She has a new doctor... She had tests to find out why she has been getting sick over and over again... We are waiting to hear the results... I will keep you posted...

Making a New Ironing Board Cover

2008-07-09T20:03:00.001-07:00

Okay it's confession time... My ironing board had taken on a life of it's own. I can't even remember where it came from... but somehow about 3 years ago this ironing board came to stay at our house... I'd like to think that it came dirty and icky... but I can't even remember that... Let's just say this morning when I was having my coffee... I decided it was GROSS... and the cover had to go...

I removed the exsisting cover and rummaged around in my washed fabric and came upon a nice thick piece of white canvas. (Please note: it would be wise to iron the new fabric before removing the old cover...) I laid the old cover on the new fabric and cut it out with a 5/8 inch margin.
(The tag inside of the cover said do not machine or handwash... How would you clean it? You would have to replace it.)

I used a normal piece of store bought bias tape that I already had to finish the edges of the cover and to create a casing. I pulled a strong piece of kitchen string to gather the cover and tighten the cover to make it lay tightly and taunt.

Then I cut out a piece of Insul-bright (a heat resistant batting) the same size as the flimsy little foam pad.

TaDa....New lovely Ironing board.... I love it... It is a cheery white... and it is washable.... whoo!hoo!

The new cover went immediately to work cutting out new pot holders.

Little Hope is Sick...

2008-07-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

This morning when she got out of bed she said she couldn't walk and that her feet hurt... So I put her in my bed with a cup of milk. Her cheeks were just a touch of pink... but I knew what was to come. As the day would go by she would become feverish.... and very achy... This evening her fever is 103.1F

This has happened about every 2 weeks for about a year... and it is a been a mystery illness... It is a high fever and sore bones... Last time we took her to a local hospital out of our insurance area... and it turned out to be strep throat... 10 days of antibiotics... She seemed well when it ended... but here we are again... I am a loss as to what to do... I just feel so bad that we don't know what the cause is... and also knowing that she loses days of been well too...

Poor thing

Me and the Applique Bird

2008-07-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

I love birds... Let me rephrase that... I LOVE birds... all the little fabric birds in blogland make me a weak in the knees...

This is where my quest to make an applique bird for an outfit I was making for Hope started...

My whole family including myself are artists... and I thought it would be simple to draw up a little bird to transform into an applique... but when I started... I couldn't make my hand do what my mind wanted and my bird drawing turned into something very unbird like...

So I asked my second oldest Adam to draw a bird for me... (He refused to be photoghraphed for this post... even though he is 20 years old...Kids!)

This is what he came back with:

Needless to say, I had to explain this wasn't quite what I was after... and so here is his second attempt. (According to my instructions.)

I then took and made a pattern from the drawing.

I used iron on interfacing to stabilize the bird fabrics... and cut them out.

I zig zagged around the bird pieces, and made little feet... Here is the finished pocket... I would have been happier with the whole project if the pocket fabric had not been so thin and stretchy... But that whole train wreck is for another day...

It has been a long, long time since I have appliqued... I want to do more... Adam got so into the whole drawing thing he made me the cutest panda bear that I want to make something with...

I hope you are all having a great week:)

Important Question

2008-07-07T23:07:00.000-07:00

I am really new to blogging... and I have a question. When I receive a comment and I try to reply... via email... I don't think people are receiving and answer... Often times their email address shows as their name and then <noreply-comment@blogger.com> I am not sure what to do about this... How do I respond to someones comment? I really could use some help... it took me so long to realize that people aren't getting my emails... That might be a lot of you... I am so sorry... Anyone have an answer on how to reply?

A Pile of People

2008-07-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

When I was at the thrift store a couple of weeks ago... I bought what at first glance looked like a pile of pipe cleaners... This is what I found when I took them out of the bag....

A Great BIG Pile of People

There were 78 pipe cleaner people in total...

Some of my favorites:

(Sparkle guy)

(Fluffy Muscle Man)

(The Twins... I love the colors)

(The Ski Instructor)

(The odds and ends)

I have no idea what these people were made for or why they were discarded... but they are fun to think about... I am not sure what we will do with them... I have thought about taking them apart and reusing the pipe cleaners... but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it...

Crock Pot Banana Bread

2008-07-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

Too Many Bananas

Not long ago, I made a cake mix in the crock pot. So, when I had too many bananas I decided to see if I could make banana bread in the crock pot too... This is how it turned out.

I placed a very tiny loaf pan in the bottom of the crock pot (You could use a sturdy cookie cutter or two. Then I placed the lid on the top and let it heat up as I was making the banana bread.

Then I chose a loaf pan that would fit inside the crock pot, on top of the little pan and allow for the lid to go on, as well as, expansion of the bread as it cooks.

Place lid on crock pot. Turn to high and allow to heat as you are making the banana bread.

This is my banana bread recipe taken and adapted from my La Leche League cookbook "Whole Foods for the Whole Family" I love this recipe because it is adaptable to what I have on hand...

Banana Bread
1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium)
1/3 cup oil or melted butter
1/2 cup honey or brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cup whole wheat or unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1 tsp nutmeg

Beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, mix well. Stir in bananas. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with hot water; mix until smooth. Bake in greased loaf pan at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for a 1/2 hour before slicing. Freezes well. This recipe can be doubled or tripled.
(I have used this recipe many times and it is always yummy. When I was making my loaf in the crock pot I also baked 2 loaves in the oven to compare it with.)

Once the bread was mixed I placed it in the heated crock pot and waited :) The took a little more then twice the time of the bread cooked in the oven.
The bread will brown lightly on the sides but will not get as dark as bread cooked in the oven. Test bread with a toothpick in center. It is finished when the toothpick comes out clean.

The following is a comparison of the bread cooked in the crock pot vs. in the oven.

Bread on left was cooked in crock pot.

This is how the crock pot banana bread looks when cut.

This is the oven banana bread.

The crock pot banana bread was very moist and it cut well. My family had varying opinions on which version of the bread they liked best. All of them liked the crock pot bread well enough to eat over and over again... The best part is you could cook the banana bread out on the porch in the summer so the house does not heat up.

Basket Remodel

2008-06-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

I have a weakness for orphan baskets... Baskets that have had hard days and been tossed aside... I found this one at our Goodwill... and my boys thought I was crazy... The pictures don't show how dirty it is, but the plastic cover on the gingham is filthy... They were also concerned that I hadn't "noticed" the missing lid...

I noticed the missing lid and the cat chewed handle... but it was only $1.99 and I couldn't pass it by... I could see how useful it could be with a little remodel.

(Cat Chewing)

(Half a lock... clearing pointing to the fact that it was missing a lid)

The first thing I did was remove the old cover and then the half a lock... Look at how they held the little lock on... brads that look like rivets. (Isn't that clever.)

I cut apart the cover to form a pattern. That way I could make a new lining...

I already had this white fabric... so I decided I would use it to line the basket... I have a hard time chosing a print when I know something is going to serve a useful purpose. I am always worried that I will grow tired of a print over time...

I sewed up the four side seems and tried it on the basket... Even though I used the original as a pattern the new cover seemed a bit small. At first I was going to make a ruffle... and so I cut strips of fabric to gather... I changed my mind about a ruffle and decided I would just make a turned edging instead.

(Oh my, my ironing board is icky and needs a new cover... it is amazing what you see when you take a photo of something you look at everyday.)

After I removed the gathering, I realized the fabric I chose really had the tendency to fray... But with a completely finished edge it won't matter, no matter how much use the basket gets.

Ta Da... it is finished and ready to start a new life... Don't pass by that ugly basket... it could turn into a wonderful addition to your storage...

Roosters-N-Rickrack Pinafore GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-06-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

Roosters-N-Rickrack Pinafore GIVEAWAY!!!!

Look at the next cute giveaway that Kathleen is having on Grosgrain! I want to win this for Hope so bad... it is so cute....

From T-Shirt to Capri Pants

2008-06-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

I have been toying with remaking clothes out of old clothes and this is my first attempt to turn an old T-shirt into a pair of capri pants for Hope. I used a simple Little Vogue pattern.

I decided to cut it a bit longer so I placed the cuff of the pattern on the bottom of the shirt. This saved time on having to hem the bottoms... They were really easy to sew together...

They turned out well... However, I didn't realize she had grown so much since last winter, so they are too small in the torso area ... All in all, I will be making a lot more with a larger pattern. This would be a really good way to make little capri pants for babies and small toddlers because a pattern would easily fit on most size t-shirts or sweat shirts:)
P.S. Look how messy my sewing area is... I think it is time to clean and organize... How does it get messy so fast:)~

Cabin Fever

2008-06-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

Help... We need ideas of things to do....

My family is getting cabin fever... We have been staying indoors because we have a lot of smoke from the many forest fires nearby. The smoke has been so thick it is like fog and we haven't had sun in almost a week. I know we shouldn't complain because we aren't victims of the fires or fighting the fires... But we are going nutty staying in the house... even in the rain and snow we go outside... so this is a big change for us... I think it is hardest on Hope, who loves to play out on the patio in the evenings... she misses her sandbox... We need ideas for bringing in that outdoor feeling... What would you do to bring some nature to the inside...

Serious Dirt Lover!

(Last years camping trip... Talk about dirty)

Strawberry Quart Caplet with Simple Sailing Frock

2008-06-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

Kathleen at Grosgrain is so talented... Look at this little caplet that she is giving away in a giveaway... It is darling... I think I am becoming a cape addict... I am already working on another royal cape for the princess... but I think she would look so cute in this little caplet :)~ Kathleen is so talented... You really need to check her blog out :)

Strawberry Quart Caplet with Simple Sailing Frock

The Princess Riding Hood....

2008-06-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hope has been wanting me to make her some princess clothing. I have started creating the patterns for the first dress... but in the meantime I made her a new Princess Riding Hood based loosely on a design that I found on Teresa Franco Design's Post for a hooded cape

http://teresafranco.typepad.com/teresafranco/2007/09/hooded-cape.html

I changed it quite a bit...because I wanted to line the hood... and I wasn't entirely sure how it tied on so I just made it work as I went...

Now she is being very dramatic in her new cape...

I guess I will have to hurry up and get more costumes finished... so she has a full outfit...

I won...

2008-06-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I am the winner of a beautiful mixed art painting... I am so excited... It is beautiful. Anna from Three Sneaky Bugs had a giveway to celebrate her 100th post... The painting is so lovely... I am such a lucky girl... Thank you Anna...

I love all the creative ideas that Anna has on her site... I get so many ideas of things to try... I always look forward to reading her posts....

(Isn't it beautiful...)

http://threesneakybugs.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/100th-post-giveaway/

My Deep Dark Secret

2008-06-24T17:28:00.001-07:00

Okay it is time for a confession... that I am only telling you... so shhhhhhhhh... Don't tell anyone around here...

(Brownie Bite Failures)

There are times when I am asked to bring some sort of baked good and either my first idea didn't turn out... or I run out of time. When this happens I resort to my... Secret Friend.. Little Debbie and her brownies...

I am not sure when I started to do this... but it was a LONG... time ago... I buy several boxes of Little Debbie Brownies and cut them up in a really cute way... and either package them in a really cute way... or if I am taking them to a party I put them on a pretty plate or dish...

(Secret Brownie Bite Treasures)

No one has ever asked or figured it out... At least they haven't said so... and I don't have quiet friends, they would mention it if they knew. When people say they were good... I smile and say "thank you." They usually are all eaten by the time it is time to go home... so next time you need a fast party food or gift... Try it... It really works...

Who me? A Hippie? Me?

2008-06-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

OK, I May Be An Ex-Hippie;

At the time I didn't know... I was... In fact a hippy (now I am called green,)Until today when someone pointed it out to me and then supported his claim with proof... Even my kids knew.

Why didn't anyone tell me before? I always saw myself as, courious and sensible... more of a pioneer...

50 Signs Pointing to the Fact it Could Be True I was a Hippy...

The fact that I grew up in Nevada County in the 70s

I know how to grind my own wheat and make my own bread.

Was a former card member of Le Leche League.

Taught all my children how to can their own fruits and veggies and jam.

I have raised ducks and chickens and eaten the eggs.

I have worn a denim jumper. (Please don't tell anyone.)

I have owned a horse.

I have milked a goat and have drank the milk (Ew...what was I thinking?)

I have made yogurt.

I have made my own peanut butter.

I have picked blackberries on the side of the road.

I know who Carla Emery is.

I like Carly Simon.

I have had a VERY large collection of canning jars.

I have made my own candles.

I have made my own soap.

I like to camp.

I have cut my own firewood.

I know how to make granola.

Some of my children wore cloth diapers.

I was a vegetarian for more then 3 years.

I shop at a health food store on a regular basis.

I have used many herbal remedies.

I love daisies.

I used to have a basket collection.

My children grew up watching PBS.

I know how to fish.

I love tofu.

I invented my own smoothie recipe.

I have loved every peasant blouse that I have ever seen, even though I cant wear them.

I have grown my own sprouts. (all types)

I have had my own organic compost pile.

I have raised far too many zucchini and tomatoes.

I have owned a dehydrator and made my own fruit leather.

My brothers raised their own pot to earn money for to pay for their dirt bikes.

I have worn my hair in braids too many times.

I have owned a woody station wagon.

I played around with home schooling my children.

I collected insects, raised them and bred them.

I know how to quilt.

I forced my family to eat only whole grains.

I have made my children matching clothing when they were young.

I have more then 2.5 children. (I have 5 total)

I have a child that plays the harp.

I have a love for llamas (does this make me a llama mama....No...I do however own a large bag of llama fiber waiting to spun into yarn...)

I can crochet and knit.

I like to recycle. (My son now is a major recycler and finder in the trash... I need to do an entire post on him and his finds... It is truly amazing what people throw away.)

I love to make bran muffins.

I gave up sugar for honey and ground dates for a few years.

I have handpicked all the tomato hornworms out of my garden so that I didn't have to use pesticides.

I have owned more then one Tye-dyed item.

Most of these things are still the same today... and perhaps to a larger extent... I would say people would call me green or environmental minded. I

Help Me and My Piece of Wood

2008-06-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

I love a stray piece of wood. I have several... However this is a big one...

I always see so much potential in almost any piece of useable wood. Knowing this, one of my older sons, Gregory drug this lovely, heavy, piece of plywood. At first it was in the entry way... then I put it near the sliding door leading to the back porch...

Then I got the idea of applying Gesso on it and turning it into a wall painting. The only thing that has kept me back so far is that it is very heavy and hanging it might be a bit of a chore.

Resently I have placed it on a long card table I have so that I can spray paint some of the things that are in need of transformation.

(Spray Paint Table)

Under the spray paint table has turned into a cave/house.

I am still no closer to knowing what to do with my wooden treasure...

What do you think???I really need suggestions...

The wood needs to become something or go to a new home...

Aliens Growing in My Kitchen

2008-06-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

It wasn't that long ago... that I read somewhere to let your kids grow a sweet potato plant in a mason jar. It just so happened that I had a volunteer sweet potato on my cake plate stand where I keep lonely fruits and veggies. It had already started to sprout leaves. So I figured we would see what happened... At first it was so fun to see the roots grow... We could almost see them growing each time we walked into the kitchen... The plant took also wanted me to water it each time I was in there... It was amazing how much water a growing plant uses...

Now the sweet potato is very large and turning into a vine. I am not sure what to do with it next... I don't know what I was thinking would happen, but now it seems like the sweet potato vine is taking over and influencing other plants to sprout... Look at my onions....

And now I have a potato that wants to be grown too... Either way... We have had lots of fun growing our little kitchen alien... Maybe we will try carrots next...

Little Chef Hat for My Little Chef

2008-06-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

I made Hope this little Chefs Hat.

She wears it when she cooks or works in the kitchen. It helps keep the hair out of her eyes. Her pony tail pokes out the back of the hat...

I love how cute she looks in it...

I Almost Missed Fathers Day

2008-06-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

Somehow I wound up thinking Fathers Day was a week later then it actually was, so when Saturday rolled around and I realized it was happening the next day. I kicked into gear. We are on a really tight budget so I wanted to do something that didn't cost anything, but yet said "I love you Daddy."

So here is what we came up with...

Hope loves to paint so she painted him a rock for his desk at work... She cracks me up because she likes to repaint things over and over, so the color is constantly changing... So eventually I stopped her and we let it dry...

She put stickers on it. Then I glued felt on the bottom. I didn't want it to scratch his desk at work.

Every year since Hope was born I have made a print of her foot for Daddy on Father's day... Her foot is getting to be so big. I can't believe how much she has grown.

We baked a brownie... The little chef really believes in sprinkles.

I took pictures of the process and then made a single photo collage at our Kodak Kiosk. (Total cost of picture 32 cents)

All in all, it turned out perfect... It just made me realize how it is the thought that counts...

Summer Crayons

2008-05-09T00:20:00.000-07:00

Today we made sea shell crayons out of reclycled crayons. Because we didn't have enough crayons of our own we asked the neighbors if they had any broken crayons they wanted to discard.

They were so easy and fun to make:)

Saving with a New Approach

2008-05-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

I have a real weakness for magazines, but I have been trying not to pay full price for them. I use to not be able to go into a store without going down the magazine aisle. Now I would rather put my money to better things. However, I have not done without plenty of current magazines. Our library has a place where the Friends of the Library sell old books and magazines. Adult books vary in cost but childrens books and magazines are 25 cents. Most of the time I get magazines the same month they are in the store. Here is an example of a few that I got on our weekly library visit.