Morning Breakfast

This was the morning after a very crappy day. I got a migraine. They knock me down. and scare the crap out of me.
I needed something cheerful. So I set a pretty table and made a good breakfast. On lazy days we have cereal.

When the stems started dying from the bunch, I transferred them to these. Not sure which I like best. It's kind of charming in the tin cans.

one of the best pineapples ever. L devoured half the bowl before I could even get the eggs on the table.






Kids are great for a lot of reasons. One of them is that there is no time to wallow.

$5 Flowers: Week 2

I'm really liking this five dollar loveliness every week. Really, really liking it.



P.S. I took my shopping blog private. It was never really intended for public eyes. Just meant to be a loose diary of things I like. If you really want to keep looking at it leave your email and I'll invite you. Or I might have already sent you one if I know you look at it.

Hey, Chickie

I am not the type of girl to own chickens. But my sister is. And it fascinates me.

Check out this super mod chicken coup.

$5 Flowers: Week 1

I liked how they looked when they started to wilt and die, but they looked pretty on the table too.

Breadmaking scenes

I discovered she likes to eat raw bread dough.

She helped herself. I did not offer.

My dad does the same thing.

Which makes it kind of sweet.

Mom's "KitchenAid" Bread

3 cups warm water

2 1/4 Tbs yeast

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup honey

3/4 Tbs salt

7 1/2 cups flour

Load ingredients in order into KitchenAid Mixer.

Mix 10 minutes using bread hook (sides will come clean). I used lowest setting.

Grease hands. Separate into two loaves. (makes two full size loaves).

Let rise in bread pan 10 minutes.

Put into cold oven.

Turn oven to 350 degrees. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

YUM!

(easiest bread recipe ever. and the "easy" is the only reason we have homemade bread in our house)

The Good Report

1. L is rarely woken by M's middle of the night screaming. Must be getting used to having someone else in the room.

2. Started cutting another quilt. Inspired by THESE. Ooh it's going to be good.

3. I'm letting M cry herself back to sleep more often (during middle of the night screaming) which means I get more sleep.

4. Finally mastered perfect hashbrowns. Crispy on the outside. Cooked in the middle. Yes, yes, yes!

5. Family time at the park.

6. Giving my water a little extra something....thanks to Martha.

7. Summer shorts that are long enough. Maybe I won't be miserable all summer. Maybe.

8. An hour+ of mindless sewing (quilt triangles) after I'd had enough. Listening to my IPod at hearing loss levels. Thank you Queen. Thank you Kelly Clarkson. Thank you Ozzy Osbourne, Rolling Stones, Weezer, Eurythmics, Gwen Stefani, and most of all....Joan Jett.

I feel better now.

First bud

spotted at my sister's house

Life is Art

I thought this was so beautiful. Especially since I am feeling so far from the formal arts of my single days. Wouldn't it be cool to share our grocery lists? My mom is a huge letter writer and has the most beautiful cursive handwriting. I've always liked people's handwriting too. We were discussing this quote earlier today over the phone.

Really cool.

I can't remember where I saw this....so sorry. I like to give credit. Anyone else seen it?

M, lovely in stripes

L was a very even baby. M is so different. She displays both extremes of emotion often. We can count on several minutes of freak out crying before falling asleep. It's SO LOUD. And easily induced smiles the rest of the time. So different. I have been asking myself constantly if I can be the mother each of them needs. Not that I have a choice. But you know...

And she's so close to crawling. It's awesome.

pillow

Onesie

2 year old proof

Had to make some adjustments to the paper butterflies because L was messing with them. Ah, well. We had a good run at two years.
Now she can't reach. Mwuhahahaha.

(see before HERE)

Garlic Stem

The Good Report

1. More de-junking and purging of the house.
2. Trying to clear the kitchen counter. Permanently. And make it lovely to look at.
3. Week three of $5 flowers beautifying our home.
4. More potty progress with L.

5. Started cooking dinner after lunch whenever possible. It makes a huge difference.

6. Finally got around to cancelling all those Victorias Secret Catalogs. I've always wondered why I get SO MANY. Sometimes three or four in one day.

7. Tons more outside time yesterday. It's so nice!

I'm on a Mexican theme in the kitchen.

This week's hits:

Tomatillo Chicken which L devoured. Jeff raved about and also devoured. And I preferred on a tostado. The sauce would be so great over eggs.

Stuffed Pablanos needs to be paired with something, but a nice change.

Color for Everyone. Yipee!

I don't subscribe, but I'll be running to the bookstore for this one. I can hardly wait. That yellow pillow is killing me. Must have.

Daily Life: Toy Corner

M, 6 months

Behold....

THE ZIG ZAG QUILT



My first quilt. It's full of mistakes and I love every single part of it. Really. It makes me so happy and every time I look at it or use I think to myself: I love this quilt.






The finished quilt is 54.5" x 76.25"
I used this tutorial

Detail of fabric I used for the back. I purposely matched to my wall color.






detail view of binding



Just because she's cute.



And there you have total satisfaction. True love.

I don't think I'm on my way to becoming a habitual quilter, but I've got a couple more designs (is that even quilting lingo? I have no idea) I'm dying to create. We'll see.

For more detailed info visit creative chicks tomorrow. And I'll also post a few different photos.

Tomorrow....

....the zig zag quilt revealed

Floral Obssession

Photo by Jose Picayo

I've got flowers on the brain....Searching for living room pillows. And I also started purchasing flowers for the kitchen table. I've always wanted a home with fresh flowers. I figure with all my extra savings (thanks to price matching) I can splurge on Walmart's $5 bundle each week (photos later). It makes me very happy. I'm totally digging the cheery addition. This week five dollars got me a ton of baby's breath. Which looks so beautiful all bunched together.

Got some grocery flowers of your own? Read these:

Stretch out the life of a bouquet

Turn supermarket flowers into a bouquet

Subsitution for flower food

I've been taking some very small steps in setting a pretty table. (Remember that New Year's Resolution)? I put lemons in a water caraffe the other day and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It was so pretty to look at. Maybe I'm easily pleased. And I actually used some printed napkins that were lingering in my stash. It's the little things that make life lovely.

Check out all of these ideas for table settings. I don't have any plans of going that far, but one or two elements every so often would be nice.

And look at one more centerpiece. Man, that would look cute against my plate wall.

I'd also like to try this.

The Good Report

1. Got my prints back for the basement ledge. I could not be happier.
2. The hubs repaired a very pricey pair of his headphones. I can't think of anything more attractive than Mr. Fix-it.
3. Watched Twilight and New Moon. Loved them. I'm Team Jacob! Wowza. He is something else to look at. I haven't read the books and probably won't, but who will tell me if she turns into a vampire?
4. Discovered a very successful teaching technique with my class.
5. We liked this recipe. Mexican Meatball soup
6. Spent a lot of time outside yesterday.
8. Got to know our neighbors.
9. TAX RETURN, baby!

Potty Talk

L has done so good with potty training today....I think she's eaten her weight in M&M's. No misses. Yeah, sister!

No diapers. That's lovely.

Neighborhood playground

Remember how electrified your hair would get on the slide? It used to drive me crazy as a kid. Actually, it still does. Fine haired folks are cursed with the static.



She's into bugs these days, but not because she likes them. She spotted one here. And got nervous.

Cousin S

She'll be your best friend. For real.

Sisters

I realized I had one picture of these two together. It was when M was first born and it's not that great. They need more. So this is for history reasons. Can't wait until M can sit...got some cute ideas.