He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young
. {Isaiah 40:11}

29 July 2011

Other People's Genius {embroidery}

For a while there, embroidery seemed a bit dull to me. Like cross-stitching, I've always associated it with "country" or "knick-knacky". I pictured women sitting over an embroidery hoop, in their parlors, while drinking tea and waiting for their men to "come to call".
NOT SO!
I have recently stumbled upon some of the cutest ideas.
I was wr... wr... wrong.
With some super inexpensive embroidery floss, hoop, needle and a bit of plain fabric, the sky's the limit.
See?



 
 



Now... if only I could find the time! 
Oh well...
Have a Happy Weekend!

28 July 2011

{Camp Potatoes}

I assume I call them camp potatoes because they're easily made over a fire but to be honest, this is a recipe from mom so she may have just made it up...
No matter what you call them, they're a fantastic recipe for hot days when turning the oven on just seems silly.

What You'll Need: 
This recipe is a bit subjective based on the number of mouths your feeding but for the four healthy appetites in our house, this is what we use...
2-3 medium sized *organic potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thin
1 small onion, diced
3 T butter
salt
pepper
herbs of choice {optional}
*If not using organic potatoes, peel them first. Potato skins are sprayed to prevent sprouting so it's best to do without the peels if you aren't using organic.

What To Do:
Cut yourself two sheets of aluminum foil about 18" long a piece.
Pile the potatoes into the center of one piece of foil, sprinkle with onion, dot with butter, add salt and pepper and close up the foil around it all making a ball.
Wrap your second piece of foil over the top of the ball you just created.
Place directly onto heated grill set at medium heat for 30 minutes. {Flip halfway through cooking.}
What's even better?... Lay the foil packet on a plate to serve, toss the foil, put the plate away clean.



26 July 2011

{Zucchini-Mozzarella Patties}


I don't know about you but our garden is overflowing right now and mostly with squashes and cucumbers!
My parents have also been inundating our home with more oversized zucs that they can't eat quickly enough.
I almost always default to one of our two favorite zucchini recipes...
but this year decided to add to our repitoire.
 I found the recipe for Zucchini-Mozzarella Patties and made a few adjustments. 
So far, so good since all of our in-home critics happily gobble these up!
What You'll Need:
4 c coursely grated zucchini
2 large eggs, slighlty beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 c all purpose flour
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 c grated parm cheese
1 t salt
1 c mozzarella or cheddar cheese
black pepper

What To Do:
Set oven to 350. Wrapping the zucchini in a paper towel or strainer, squeeze as much moisture out of the zucchini as possible and place in a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and mix till well blended. 
Drop zucchini by large tablespoonfuls onto parchment or silivone lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown. 

Take out of oven, let cool for a moment, flip, and return for another 5 minutes. 
I prefer them hot but they can be eaten cold too. 
So how 'bout you...

How's your garden looking this year?

25 July 2011

Pinterest {a danger to families everywhere!}

Some of you, via facebook, may already know this but I made a new friend this week.
Her name is Pinterest.
My, oh my! Is she addictive!

Imagine this... you're online, you've found something amazing that you want to save up to buy or buy supplies to make. Now... where do you file that product/image/idea away until you have money/time to buy/make?
You guessed it!
PINTEREST!

Up until now I've been emailing myself everything I've found, putting it all into a long word document, then printing that and storing it all in notebooks.
Not no mo'!
I installed the "pin it" button on my bookmarks toolbar and anytime I come across something on the web I just click that cute little button, pick the picture I want to save, and the image and link to it are on my board.
Just like that.

If you've not discovered this thing of beauty, I advise you of one thing...
Be sure you don't start looking around until you have time to do so.
I spent most of the afternoon watching Cosby Show reruns with Hubs while surfing the web as the munchkins slept.
You can EASILY waste an entire day with this!
Ok.
You've been warned!



22 July 2011

Other People's Genius {Backsplash}

I have always L.O.V.E.D. white subway tile as a backsplash. No matter the kitchen or the color, that's what I planned to do once I had a "for ever and for always house". {Waiscotting is my second choice.}
Well, I'm not ready to share the details just yet BUT, I think my "for ever and for always" house is coming sooner than I thought.
I promise. More details when the time is right.
ANYWAY... I've been toying with ideas for backsplashes and have come across some really neat ones. Some are super cheap, others are just simple, and still others are just plain smart.
Enjoy!

The Simple...
Board and Batten: Using thin strips of wood you can add a little something to your wall. This is great if you want to be non-commital about your backsplash or if you're saving up money for something a little more expensive down the road. Some great tips can be found at Funky Junk.



Painted Glass: Looking for something a smidge more modern? How about a glass background. Pick your paint color, paint the back of a piece of custom cut glass and put it up. How? Okay, I don't really know exactly how, but at least the idea is simple!


Wainscoting: So clean and classy with a touch of country. You can go wide board or thing beadboard. This involves some patience but all you need is a sheet of wainscoting that you can buy from Home Depot, a saw, caulking, and possibly small trim, depending on your space.


Tin Tiles: You can purchase tiles like these at Lowes or Home Depot and make it simple or go all out.

Paint: If you have a color you LOVE, why not show it off? I particularly like the small bit of tile backsplash beghind the stove to change this kitchen up a little.

{found at InspiringDesigns.org}
Chalkboard Paint: Fairly inexpensive and fun! I'm not sure I'd ever actually write anything on there but if your handwriting is nice and you're forgetful, this may be for you!

Wallpaper: As much as I don't love putting up and taking down wallpaper, I kinda love this idea. Especially when it's done in fun prints like these.

The tried and true...
Tile: Oh, dear while subway tile... how I love thee. 
Then again, why stick with boring white when you can have these?
 

Bon Jour!

20 July 2011

{Grilled Pineapple and Pound Cake}

I'd heard of grilling both pineapple and pound cake. Since they both have sugar in them I figured the carmelization would taste yummy and I was right.
I borrowed a couple ideas from Paula Deen's recipe and ended up with this.

So good on a breezy summer night!

Wanna Try?
What You'll Need:
pineapple rings, fresh or canned
pound cake
3 T butter
1 1/2 T brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg

What To Do:

Slice pound cake and pineapples. I cut the pound cake about 1" thick and the rings in half. Set aside.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.

Bring all ingredients to the grill with a brush.

Liberally brush the melted mix over the pineapple and both sides of the pound cake. Lay down on an open grill and cook for just a minute or two until nice golden grill marks appear. It will take a minute or two.
Pour any extra sauce over top and serve.

And, in case you're wondering, my face has been nice and swollen for two days now. My right eye is nearly closed. It's lovely. I can tell that poor Hubs isn't sure where to look when he talks to me but thankfully all three kids haven't acted any different or scared. I was worried about that.  I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel though. It's starting to dry out thanks to Zanfel and ... ugh... Prednisone. I HATE that I'm taking it and I'm taking less than I was told to but Hubs said he's more worried about my getting better than anything so... I'm submitting.


19 July 2011

Because I'm Itchy...

I made a mistake.
I weeded the garden.
I knew I shouldn't have, but I did, and now I itch.
Nope, there was no poison ivy in site.
It's just my skin.
I think it hates me.
It's rather inconvenient being the daughter of a greenhouse owner.
Something just seems wrong about my sensitivity to all things growing.
Oh well.
So I'm itchy all over.
It started on my hands, moved to my neck, and is now on the right side of my face.
Oh goody.
So instead of sharing about my weekend projects {and there actually were some!} I'm taking a break...
laying perfectly still in the cool of our air conditioned home...
and sharing this great post with you...
Have a lovely day!

18 July 2011

Scripture Memory for Toddlers


I'll tell you up front, I half stole this from Passionate Homemaking who may, or may not, have stolen this from somewhere else but the content is helpful so I just don't care!
If you remember, a few months back, I had a post about putting God's Word to music. {Found Here}
Hubs and I have realized that CJ has an AMAZING memory. {Sometimes he remembers things we rather he didn't but that's another story for another time.} We both agree this is an optimal time to cram in as much of God's Word as we can before his little noggin fills up with other things that he can do without. We have been working on, though not as vigilently as we'd like, on rote memorization. He's picking it up rather nicely but one of our issues has been finding the right verses for him to learn.
One great resource has been Wise Words for Moms by Ginger Plowman. It's verse selections are geared specifically towards training your child in obedience to God and His charge to you as a parent...


Bragging, Conceit... Ps. 101:5 - God will not tolerate a proud heart
Phil. 2:3 - Walk in humility and consider others better than yourself


Passionate Homemakings suggest a few other sources for verses...
Ministry-To-Children.com {10 verses} and Ministry-To-Children.com {30 verses}
My ABC Bible Verses by Yvette Banek

However you do it, whether a little at a time or a strong attack, the key is to do it. I hate when days go by that I didn't deliberately pour the Word into our kids and any ways that make those days scarce is good in my book. Even if that means just popping a CD or DVD in. The days of open ears, hearts, and minds are numbered. Let's not let them go to waste!

I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. 
Psalm 119:11

{image source}

15 July 2011

Sprinkle Monogrammed Shirt


I found the tutorial for this ages ago and have wanted to make it cause it looked so simple, cheap, and fast.
I was right.

I went the route of cutting out the letter first, fused it to the shirt using "heat'n'bond", and then stitched it. It was a little more work to go through three materials but I know it's secure so I think it was worth it.

Dana shares a few other ways of doing it.
No matter how you do it, I think the result is custom and cute!
 Have a great weekend!

14 July 2011

She Who Taught Me How to Sew

I want to introduce you to someone today...
Everyone, say hello to my mother, "Queen Bee". 

{Hi, Ma!}
Mother of lots. Wife of one. Martha Stewart's long lost sister. Amazingly good cook. Experimenter. Cookie baker. Hot chocolate maker. Fiercely independent middle child. Teacher of all things crafty. 
 
I knew that eventually she'd make an appearance here but I wasn't sure when until I sat in her sewing room with her the other day talking and realized how that room seemed to bring together all the things that I love about "home". I'm not sure it's the kitchen that makes my parent's house a home, for me, I think it's the sewing room.
My parents put an addition on their home several years ago and turned their old garage into a sewing room for my mom.
I'm a smidge jealous.
The idea of having a place dedicated to creativity makes me giddy.
Maybe someday.
...soon... {more details later}...
Anyway... now that mom is done raising her babies, she has time for sewing and her room sees plenty of use.
 

She has a walk in closet dedicated to, what she calls, her "stash". I think it could pass as more of a "store". Not only does she have enough fabric to hang an "OPEN" sign on her front door and start charging but she is insanely generous and lets me pick through her goods as often as I'd like.

I love that she loves fabric!

She has two sewing machine tables so we can both work in there or she can have her sewing buddies over. I head to her house with the kids when I have a project to finish and no motivation to get it done. I can focus up there.

She has one large cutting island on wheels that she can roll away when she needs the floor space for laying out her patterns or tying off quilts.

Best of all, she has a large screen, wall mounted TV, a DVD player, and a radio so you can be entertained while sitting at a sewing machine or handstitching in the glider.

A crafter's haven!

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