Ain't She Crazy!

Pumpkin Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:53:00 +0000

I have been craving anything pumpkin lately.

This recipe for Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle from Taste of Home makes me want to do cartwheels all the way to the grocery store so I can make this little piece of heaven.

Well, maybe just one cartwheel. An imaginary one.

Anyway...

I see Pioneer Woman's Pumpkin Leche Flan in my future.

Perhaps I'll make my own recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bars.

OOooooohhhhh! How I love those! :)

Here's the recipe in case you missed it.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

pie

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 C sugar

1 can pumpkin

1 can of evaporated milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger

crust

1 box Yellow Cake Mix

1 stick of butter

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup chopped pecans
nutmeg, if desired

Combine cake mix and melter butter in a bowl, using a pastry blender to make it crumbly. (Some people will add up to one more stick of butter, but that’s up to you.)

Add in chopped pecans.

Divide this dry mix into about half, using one portion to press into a crust in the bottom of a 9x13” baking dish. (You will not need to butter the pan.)

Mix all the Pumpkin Pie ingredients above. Pour this over the crust.

Bake it for about 20-30 minutes. I wanted it to be firm enough that the topping doesn’t sink, but I also wanted the topping to be in there long enough to crisp up, just a bit.

Add the brown sugar to the remaining crust.

(I might add a little flour or even whole Oats to this next time, if I am in the mood for more CRUNCH)

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the bars and continue baking until you reach the one hour mark or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (Just like when you make pie.)

Let it cool and enjoy with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg on top.

I'll take pumpkin in pretty much anything, but I'd love to know....
What is your favorite pumpkin recipe?

Have a great day and tell those you love that you do.

Eyes to the Skies

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:23:00 +0000

Please ignore the ridiculous background issues I am having.

I just don't have time to fix it right now.

It's dreary here in Illinois today. I'm rearranging a room and baking some banana bread. Mmmm.....

To cheer me up, I wanted to share a few shots of the skies I have taken in recent months. I have already posted most of these to my personal Facebook page, but I haven't gotten around to putting them on AintSheCrazy yet. So here's wishing you a sunny Monday.

I guess my time is up! The dog disconnected my power cord while I was uploading the last photos.

Maybe later...

Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:04:00 +0000

I can't believe Halloween is over already!

It seems like I barely got any fun treats made this year.

But we still soaked up every minute of dress-up goodness we could!

Here are a few shots of my kiddos in their costumes.

The Mad Hatter

Zombie

Alice

Snake

I hope you had a fun night too. I'm loving all the pictures of everyone's kids!

Is it just me or is this just about the best holiday ever???

Cat Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Our son decided the cat needed

a Halloween costume.

He tells me she's going as a mummy.

more costume fun to come...

Returning

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:03:00 +0000

I keep saying I am going to return to blogging.

And I am.

The big hold up (aside from the fact that I am SUPER busy, as are we all) is that I had the idea that I would come back with a BANG! I was hoping to have some huge, fabulous news or recipe or project, but the truth is, I don't. And the longer I wait for that to happen, the more I realize I may never blog again if I wait for that day.

After moving and trying to work on multiple projects at the new house, I have less time than ever to blog, but I do have so much to share. I have lots of pictures and household things to post. My posts will certainly be shorter...and less-than-daily, but I'm going to give it a go. So if you are reading this, welcome back. I hope we can hang out soon!

For now, here's a little gem I shot a couple weeks ago while my hubby drove me around central Illinois.

Have I mentioned I have a "thing" for barns?

Have a beautiful day!

Magazines

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:22:00 +0000

I have a confession to make. Decorating magazines are like crack to me. Every few years I go on a binge...I can't get enough. I buy as many as I can find and then tap my nails on the coffee table until the next month's mags hit the stands.

In some ways I am a very visual person. I get a satisfaction from witnessing beauty. Art feeds me. Patterns, contrast and color are like condiments spread on the "meat" of the artistic piece; a canvas, a photograph or a computer screen. It's all good...and all fascinating to me.

I can stare at the pictures for hours, and then stare again, never tiring of the eye-candy. Occasionally I will find an article worth reading, but I really just buy them to look at. I pore over every detail, then I dog-ear pages or tear them out and add them to my file of magazine clippings. Most of the time, I find it difficult to throw them away, because I know I will get the same rush if I look at them again, later. (and I do!)

It's a sickness, I know.

I especially love magazines that zero-in on specific things, like instead of a craft magazine, I'd like a knitting-with-hand-spun-yarns magazine. So when it comes to decorating, of course, I like to buy magazines that feature certain styles. I subscribe to Traditional Home magazine for this reason. I also enjoy magazines like Veranda and Renovation Style. But when I saw a magazine devoted solely to "Lighting",
I knew I had to have it.

I paid for mine off the newsstand, but YOU CAN GET IT FREE! I have provided you a link below, in case you are "quirky" like me and would like to take a look at some of the new concepts in lighting. Sconces, pendants, chandeliers...they have it all! Click the link below to request your free copy.

http://www.americanlightingassoc.com/

Now, let the visual feasting begin!

The List (well, one of them)

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:55:00 +0000

I feel like all we have done is remodel this summer. But that cannot be true can it?

I mean, somewhere in there, we watched MVP earn his yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do.

We took a family day off at a water park and local ice creamery.

The Princess turned SEVEN! *sniff sniff*

Sugar and Skillet have also been super busy, but I have guess I have no photos to prove it.

Sugar will test for his blue belt in 2 weeks.

The summer is whizzing by quickly, so it's time for me to make my list. Each year, I make an unofficial list of the things we'd like to do before the kids go back to school. This year, the list has to include mostly activities that are free or cheap (moving is more expensive than I remembered!)

We want to travel to a nearby town to visit their zoo.

We want to visit a beach.

I want to take Princess to see Ramona and Beezus at the kids free theater.

I want to take the kids' pictures with sparklers using a slow shutter speed and a tripod. Have you seen this technique? Even though I have had almost ZERO time for photography, I really want to make time for this one. Here's an example from the fabulous Lisa Leonard.

I hope you are all having a great time. Do you have a summer wish list?

Sunscreen

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:31:00 +0000

Every year at graduation time, I think of this "speech". You probably read it a hundred times, like I have, but I still love it, so I reprinting it here. Enjoy:

written by Mary Schmich. Published in the Chigago Tribune

June 1, 1997

Inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out, some world-weary pundit eager to pontificate on life to young people who'd rather be Rollerblading. Most of us, alas, will never be invited to sow our words of wisdom among an audience of caps and gowns, but there's no reason we can't entertain ourselves by composing a Guide to Life for Graduates.

I encourage anyone over 26 to try this and thank you for indulging my attempt.Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Here is one man's interpretation. Beautiful!

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 01:29:00 +0000

Some things aren't meant to be.

Like a kitchen that you can't see out of.

So...

Let the good times roll!

More Rambling About Kitchens...

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Indulge me once more, please. :)
These pictures are from House Beautiful. There are so many great ideas here!

But don't get the idea that I am building a new kitchen or that I am dropping $50,000 on a designer remodel. Nope.
I'm just enjoying the views and hopefully, pulling a few ideas out that I can scale down to my comparably itty bitty budget. The truth is, it's probably more fun this way. I mean, if you had everything you wanted, what is there left to dream about? (My apologies, Princess Kate.)

Anyway, let's get started...

Here, we have possibly the kitchen I would build if I were to have the opportunity to design and build my own. I love every detail, from the rustic wooden plank flooring, to the subway tile backsplash!

Dear black pendant lights, I love you. Please be from Kmart. ;)

And another view:

My heart belongs to those shelf brackets.

What's that?

You are sick of the all-white thing?

Nonsense!

But, just to be nice, I am adding in this shot.

It certainly feels home-y, but how long before I wanted re-painting those cabinets?

LOL

Maybe it's just me.

And what's up with that light fixture. I don't get it.

We will not discuss the nail brads on the table's edge.

*ahem*

---

Our new house has an archway. Just one. I guess they were all the rage in the 70's.

I love how big and round this one is. Check out the framing of this photo and how it highlights the round shapes of the arch framing the round light fixtures. Nice job, whoever took this.

Louis XV chairs, I LOVE you.

xoxoxox

I do not believe words are necessary to describe my love of this island.

Though, I could live without the Long John Silver's light fixture.

The white ceramic in this kitchen totally ruins it for me. I hate tile, can you tell?

This one had me until I saw those light fixtures. What were they THINKING??

Here are the actual cabinets in our new kitchen...minus the clean, white paint...architectural accents, etc.

Wouldn't I be a happy camper if I had that sweet stainless farm sink?

So, in case you didn't catch on, I am posting all these great shots in here so that I can keep an little journal to refer to later. I will be carrying a picture of those black pendants in my purse (for example) when I finally get to shop for lighting in the new house. In reality, though, there are so many things that are already great about the house...the challenge is pulling it all together to suit MY taste.

One source I have been loving is the House Crashing Archive at Young House Love. Talk about fun!

And how do they get people to just open up their houses to them?

I want to do that!!

(the picture-taking part, not the house-opening part, of course.)

Have a great day!!!!

Kitchens

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 08:25:00 +0000

Here are a few of the kitchens that are making me smile as I flip through all my new decorating magazines.

Enjoy!

I love the light, airy feel of this kitchen, though I wonder about using shelves instead of cabinets. I have a feeling it would just look cluttered in real life. I also love the contrasting countertops.

I'd slap some paint on those walls and be happy as a clam in this kitchen.

I am loving banquettes these days. So cozy!

This one is super "country" style, but it deserves an honorable mention for the countertops, the lighting and the island.

I love everything here but the tile elements. Blech!

With beautiful hardwood floors and a different backsplash, though, this would be dreamy.

Love the curved elements.

Love those dramatic ceilings! This looks like such a light, clean work space.

I'll bet it smells like lemons. :)

Of course I saved the best for last...

Everything is right for me about this kitchen: the rustic ceiling beams, the creamy cabinets, those great big windows, the legs on the island pieces, the dark countertops... LOVE!

all photos courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Random Ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Tue, 31 May 2011 04:38:00 +0000

I am not sure I have anything half-way intelligent to say these days. But, just in case you are wondering, here's a sample of what's in my head:

1) eggshell or satin? flat????? hhmmmmmm....

2) I have a crush on SW dovetail

I am wondering if this is the kind of crush where it turns out that you like him more that he likes you. Ya know? I am looking for a long-term commitment here. Decisions, decisions...

3) glass front cabinets or solid? mullions?

4) White? Off-white? Whipped Cream, Snow, Ibis...???

5) I saved $80 on paint because I bought it during the Memorial Day sale! SCORE! I hope we like it!! :)

6) I think I forgot to put a trash can in the virtual kitchen! Damn! Back to the planner...

7) I wonder how much it would cost to have someone do this for me. Would it be worth it?

8) Why don;t contractors answer their phones? Just to annoy me???????

9) pitter-patter, pitter-patter

photo courtesy of dutchboy.com

That's the sound my heart makes when I look at pictures like this. But, the truth is that my kids would have this room ripped apart and covered in graffiti before dinner that same night. *sigh*

10) I want this island.

photo courtesy of kraftmaid.com

...and the range hood.

Mothers (very be-lated post)

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:38:00 +0000

I can't believe how long it's been since I was able to stop in and blog a little! We finally got the entire contents of our lives packed away into neat little brown boxes and stashed inside a storage unit. And now the wait begins... It will be roughly a month before we move in to the new house. In the mean-time, we are trying not to overwhelm my mom as we camp out at her house for a few weeks.

For Mother's Day, my Girl Scout troop (and many others) went to the ballet. This year, we saw Sleeping Beauty; last year it was Swan Lake. It's a nice getaway for the moms and their girls to just have a little time together. On the way home, we hit the cupcake shop.

Don't those look YUMMY????

I have to say that the best one was the most unexpected one (s).

While they were all SCRUMPTIOUS, the toasted coconut sent me over the moon. And the chocolate, chocolate mousse was unexpectedly perfect. I figured that one was a just one to get for the kids, but it ended up being so light and yummy!

What a fun day.

I realize it has taken me forever to post this....there are so many things going on that I am not even checking my email! (unheard of!) What I really want to post about is all the decorating stuff swimming in my head now that we are so close to moving in to our new house. I may follow in the footsteps of some of the great bloggers before me and cut the length of my posts down to glorified facebook posts by slapping up paint swatches and fabrics, etc. So for now, this blog may become a bit of a decorating notebook for me...as I have time. Please follow along and let me know if you have any great ideas for the decorating projects we are attempting.

xoxo

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Tue, 03 May 2011 03:07:00 +0000

I am popping in to say a quick hello and to let you all know that I will be on Tatertots and Jello this week!

Although I am up to my ears in packing tape and boxes, I did take some time out to have a little fun with the "little people" in my life. Please check it out!

I also wanted to share a few things with you while I am here. Call them "tips on moving", if you will. I know I am not the only one who is going to be moving this year since 'tis the season. All of you Bree Hodge types (or whatever her last name is now!) can tune this part out since you already know everything there is to know about all things domestic, but for the rest of us, this moving thing is no walk in the park. For one thing, it is taking waaaaay longer to box up the entire contents of the lives of six people than I expected. Way. For another, it is not cheap. I mean seriously, how many times can we run out of boxes, or tape, or food??? I guess a lot, because it seems like someone is always having to make a run to the store. I have also learned that although boxes made from recycled materials sound like they are eco-friendly, the fact that you have to wrap them in twice as much tape to try to compensate for the fact that tape does not like to stick to it's recycled surface, might negate any "green' potential.

My advice would be to buy more that you think you'll need, then double it. Save your receipts in case you over-buy.

Although I'd love to hang out here and visit you all, my eyes are drooping, so I am off to get a good night's sleep, so I can tackle another mountain of laundry and pile of brown boxes tomorrow. But please go check me out on TT&J this week!

Easter Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Here is a look back at what we were doing last Easter time. I hope you all have a beautiful Easter!

-Jami

I found these paper mache "eggs" for about $1.00. I bought all they had (2).

You know, I had to work in some more turquoise.

I painted one turquoise and one white.

Then I white washed the turquoise 'cause I'm cool like that.

Then I used ~~a bunch of leftover McDonalds napkins~~ fancy artistic supplies

to sponge off the extra white paint.

I did not need to do this with the one I painted white, of course.

Then I just took them ~~into the kitchen~~ outside and threw black paint at them.

Jackson Pollack would be proud, don't you think?

I finished them with a spritz of spray on polyurethane for durability, which is more often called upon around here than you might think.

Some of you would like to see these in a nest,

but I was afraid someone would think it was just a pile of dust bunnies, so I decided to skip it. ;)

---

Now sit back and indulge me, K?

Here is my Princess on her way to the Kindergarten egg hunt.

Love that sweater! I found it at a rummage sale with the tags on it!

---

Then....

I scored a photo of the elusive MVP while we were coloring eggs. Actually, he is a great big ham, but they get to an age when they don't necessarily want these pictures posted on the internet, ya know?

But, just to prove to you that I actually DO have 4 kids...

Isn't he cute? :)

Sugar tried to duck the camera because he didn't want evidence

of how badly he needs a hair cut. (he is hoping I will forget)(FAT CHANCE)

Princess was very serious about the whole thing.

Turkey just went ahead and ate his.

What's Up?

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:44:00 +0000

I have been missing you all so much. I actually have been mentally writing all kinds of posts...photographing my kitchen adventures, etc...but without the time to post about it all. In fact, I have to tell you that there will certainly be some extended interruptions to my blogging between now and back-to-school time-ish. I will try, even if I cannot get any actual "photography" up here, to stop in from time to time to say hello.

For those of you who are not following my every step on facebook (ha!) I did manage to enter PW's most recent photography contest, entitled "BROTHERS". I figured I'd have a load of content to work with...and I do, but alas, it takes a bit of time to do all that fun stuff, so I only had a short time one day. Here is what I came up with:

As I am viewing this one through Blogger, I see some "stuff" that I don't like.

My older son looks like he has a rash.

Great.

Perhaps I should have taken another minute to clean that one up more thoroughly. Oh well. I am what I am and right now, that's b-u-s-y!

And yes, to my loyal photog buddies who will ask, I did run noise reduction. :P

Here is entry number 2........................

Excuse my bias, but I love how this one turned out! I believe this was a texture from Emily Powers, plus some mad photoshopping (It's TOTALLY a verb, I swear!) from yours truly.

In other news, The Princess tried to do me in emotionally last week:

I do not recall losing teeth being part of our deal. In fact, I am pretty sure I have forbidden this whole growing up thing altogether. *sigh* But she sure looks cute with her new little gap! :)

What you are seeing here are BEFORE pictures. I have not gotten around to the AFTERS. I know, I know.

I do have a couple of recipes for you, so I will TRY to get them up here, but I make no promises. :)

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:08:00 +0000

I am republishing this recipe because I have been SOOOO in the mood for these lately. Yummy!

A few weeks ago, I decided to bake up some more pink-a-licious loveliness for a good friend of mine's birthday. It was so hot out that I decided to skip the heavy chocolate cupcakes I had had in mind and go for something more "summer-y". And so I chose:

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I had seen a few versions of these on the internet, but none really flipped my skirt, so I made up my own.

Here's what you'll need to re-create these:

1 box Lemon Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 stick of butter (1/2 C)
1 cup of water
1/8 C strawberry jello powder
4-6 fresh strawberries, stemmed and chopped

I started with Saucy's recipe for cupcakes, which is the first 4 ingredients listed. To that, I added 1/8 C powdered jello and the chopped strawberries.

Honestly, this was too easy. I kind of feel bad, now that I think about it.

Bake until done. You know me, I didn't time it, but it was 18 minutes or something. Follow the box directions and keep watching and testing till you are satisfied.

The cake was super yummy!

But I can never leave well enough alone.

I had to make some super awesome frosting to pipe on top.

So I did what any respectable, made-from-scratch chef does: I cracked open a can of pre-made lemon frosting and dumped 1/2 of it in the Kitchenaid! Then I softened about 4 oz of cream cheese in the microwave (Martha Stweart's got nothing on me, baby!) and added that to the frosting, dribbled in a few drops of vanilla extract and enough powdered sugar to stiffen it up nicely. I don't know, say 1/2 C, a cup? Just start slowly and stop when it looks about right. Use milk to thin it if you go overboard. Or vodka. Whatever.

If you try this, you have my permission to outright eat the remainder of the can of frosting. You totally deserve it.

I decided to garnish with strawberries, which I do NOT recommend unless you have teensy tiny Smurf sized berries that you can use whole. Mine we regular sized, so I cut them, causing the juice to drip and discolor my pretty yellow frosting. I tried dipping them in white chocolate to stop the bleeding, but it would not stick to the cut (wet) side. (duh!) Also, I tried dying my chocolate pink, but the dye reacted to the chocolate and made it all clumpy. They were still tasty, but I'm just keeping it real here. Not everything we do turns out perfect*.

Also, pretty much everyone agreed while the frosting was amazing by itself, it was too sweet piped on so thick. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't wasted, but I ate them separately. LOL I might suggest a simple cream cheese frosting next time.

I saw another blogger (whose information I have forgotten now) use a cut piece of a drinking straw to garnish her pink lemonade cupcakes. They were adorable! I wish I'd though of that!

I am linking up with these fine blogs:

*or perfect-ly, for that matter ;)

À Bientôt, Jane

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:45:00 +0000

Oh Jane!

Did you notice that my title has changed. Well, the fonts did. (I'll pretend that you are so into my blog that you inspect every element each day.) I have used Jane Austen's handwriting for quite a while and I really love it, but my code for the font disappeared when I adopted the new, wider format. I am loving the space (I am not sure you can see it on a smaller monitor), but I will have to go dig poor Jane out soon.

Apparently I have a face that says "talk to me".

What do you think?

Here is the evidence:

Scene Number 1:

So one night I am out and about watching my kid take a lesson. Its winter and I am freezing cold, coat on, face buried in a steaming cup of hot tea. A woman near me strikes up a conversation. I respond politely...no...too friendly, I suppose, because she presses on despite my attempts to retreat. Minutes later, my mind begins to wander...here I am, sitting in a public place listening to someone tell me about her laundry list of ailments. Surgery, weight gain, knee tendons, and yes, bowel issues. Good Lord, save me! Am I in a time capsule, transported to some nursing home of the future where there is nothing more exciting than a good diarrhea story? By the time the class ends, I am scared of this woman and take off like a shot, dragging my kid into the parking lot even before he has a chance to get his coat on.

Scene Number 2:

I am 16 working as a checkout girl at the cosmetics counter of Walgreens. It's a weekend and we are busy, so I am ringing people up one after the other. I look up to find my next customer, a little old lady, about 4 ft tall, wearing a blue wool coat. I smile at her (like we are supposed to) and she looks at me and frankly says "They're not for what you think; that was over long ago." She chuckles and leans in closer. "It's that sometimes, if I sneeze or cough, I tinkle a little. It's from having babies. These help keep my bloomers dry." I look down to see she is buying a box of panty liners. Because I am only 16, I am pretty embarrassed, so I smile plasticly and speed through her purchase. After she leaves, I make a mental note never to bear children.

That one seems funny now. LOL

Scene Number 2:

I am in the checkout line at Wal-Mart with two kids in tow. Minding my own business (as I do), I am surprised when I hear the checkout lady comment "Honey, you ain't gonna get quiet in here!". I look up to see Turkey with his hands over his ears saying "It's too loud in here!" (He gets it from his momma.) So I snicker and make an off-handed comment about how it tends to be loud at our house with 4 kids. Apparently that is all it takes for this gal to open the flood gates of her life to me. She tells me that she, too has 4 kids, none more that 2 years apart (except for the first and the last, naturally). She goes on to tell me about their bickering, that her family drinks Pepsi in cans, and that she rarely speaks to her own sister. (So what's the point of trying to make them all get along any way?) She is one of four girls in her family, the baby being a boy, who minds well, despite the fact that he is 17.

It's not even that I mind the information. I mean, we all have families and what's a friend for, if not to listen? Except that we're not friends. I don't know her...at all.

I could go on and on...

I guess the point is, if you have something you need to get off your chest, I'm your gal. Is there something that you are dying to talk about? Or are you the recipient of these little tidbits?

Either way, I am listening, so spill it.

Decorating With Children's Art: Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:20:00 +0000

I was so hoping that if I left that last post up...spring would indeed, hear me call. Well, if it heard me, it did not reply. We had a couple of brief flashes of sunshine, but it is back to grey and cold here in Illinois. Its the kind of icky cold that chills you inside and out. blech!

Of course, I'll have to bake some cookies (or go back to bed!) to fight the "blahs".

A different little pick-me-up the kids and I did one day was...of course...another art project.

A while back, my daughter saw this quilt:

She loved the light and bright floral mood of it.

With that in mind, I wanted to make a piece of art, using my kids hands, to create a bright, happy piece of art that I could display. We were thinking bright, tropical, floral and fun. To be honest I am not sure we accomplished that. But art is sometimes a process.

We had fun and we learned a few things about balance and color (I hope).

Here's what we did:

1) I grabbed an abandoned canvas from the ~~dungeon~~ basement. Then I painted over it with the background color. We chose bright turquoise-blue because I love it!

if you look where the arrows are pointing, you can see that this is a re-used canvas. In a painting like this, where they will gob it on, you will never know the difference so go ahead and recycle!

2) I made the center of the flower first, with a contrasting color. We used a large foam stamp thing to create this part. You could use anything. Even a half of a potato. ;)

2) We chose a color to make the first tropical flower.

3)Next, I painted the kids' hands and had them stamp them around the center like flower petals.

4) We just kept going...one flower for each kid.

That's it!

5) At the end we critiqued our work.

It's not a masterpiece.

I didn't anticipate how hard it would be to get that "balanced", but not linear look with 4 flowers. I needed one more kid. Anyone got a spare? Ok thanks....next time. ;)

We liked that it kind of looked tie-dyed and that it is summer-y and bright. I like that I can see each hand and what size it is. *sniff* who opened their fingers...and who tried something different with a closed hand...

*double sniff*

Well, anyway, it's another idea for you. I'd love to see you make a masterpiece out of this project. Let me know if you make something similar. I'd love to see it!

Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Spring is coming.

I am sure of it.

There have been flashes of sunshine, moments of warmth.

But when the sun recedes again, spring can be difficult to find; a faint memory of something that once was.

Spring will come, like it, love it, or dread it. (who would?)

And summer will follow spring

seasons

rhythm

the cadence of life

...and the beat goes on.

Marshmallow Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:30:00 +0000

I must have received 30 emails requesting the recipe for my (now) somewhat-famous marshmallow frosting.
Here's a sample:

Dear Jami-
...I can't figure out why your marshmallow frosting
looks so much better than mine. Please advise...
-Ina

Dear Crazy Lady-
Your secret will get out anyway.
(they always do!)
Perhaps we can make a trade: your recipe
for a ridiculously long-haired cat and
a dozen Americana eggshells, expertly blown-out
by yours truly??? Come on, it's a good thing.
-M.S.

Jami-
...I was thinking if you'd share your recipe with me,
I could prove to Sophie that I am the cupcake queen.
So, what do you say? Pleeeeeeeezzzzzz?
Don't make me get Mommy!...
-Katherine

Since I am not one to be selfish (but don't even think about touching my Girl Scout Cookies, OK?) I decided, what the heck? Here you go:

Crazy-Good Marshmallow Frosting

1 C sugar
1/3 C water
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
2 egg whites (I use great big farm eggs, sans chemicals)
< 1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water and cream of tartar. Cook till bubbly and sugar dissolves, stir frequently. (Don't let it hang out much longer or it will get thick and sticky like candy.)
In mixer bowl, whisk egg whites and vanilla just until combined.
Add sugar syrup very slowly to egg whites in a thin stream as the whisk is still turning on low. You can go as slowly as you want, but do not rush this part. Once all the syrup is mixed, crank the mixer up to medium or medium-high and let 'er run for a while, checking often, until stiff peaks are formed or until you can't wait any longer. Honestly, I have never quite had the patience to get all the way to stiff peaks, but I've gotten darned close. Some people say this will take exactly 7 minutes. They lie. Just whip until you are satisfied.

and use a stand mixer if you have it. If not, I think you may have to increase the whipping time a bit.

If you make it all the way to stiff peaks, you'd better get a move on because it will set fast. If you stop just before this stage, you have just a little more time to get everything frosted (which I always need).

One recipe will frost a 2 layer cake, but the recipe can be halved with no problem.

NOTE: adjust the vanilla (or other flavor) to your liking, but if you want a true marshmallow flavor, be very very cautious with the vanilla...less is more.

garnish with coconut, crushed cookies, sprinkles or...NOTHING.

Oreo Cup-Cake-Sters

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:31:00 +0000

I have seen these little goodies all over the internet and wanted to taste them,

so I used Sugar's birthday to roll out some new concepts in COOKIES.

For this one, I started with chocolate cake batter.

Using a small spoonful, I made sure the bottom of the muffin pan was covered.

Then dipped an Oreo into the batter and plunked it on top.

I may have licked my fingers.

who can say, really?

After they came out of the oven I let them cool completely (the hardest part!) and frosted them with my marshmallow frosting. Then I garnished with more crushed Oreos.

You can see where this is going, right?

My taste-tester.

Turkey says "Two fumbs up!"

What I Know This Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:29:00 +0000

Today is Ash Wednesday, which makes me feel like I should have something profound to say, but alas, I don't. Luckily, I anticipated my writer's block and decided to continue on the theme of "What I Know".

1) I know that 10 years a go, I gave birth to a perfect, tiny, pink baby boy, who I fell in love with completely. I can't believe it's been 10 years!

2) I know that it must be hard to have your birthday on Ash Wednesday, unless you have a mom who feels sorry for you and makes you a cake on Tuesday and Thursday to make up for it.

3) I know that an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (of any flavor) is not on your diet. Nor mine.

4) I know that I am terrible at dieting, fasting or anything that requires much discipline.

Happy Double-Digits, my boy!

Decorating With Children's Art: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 04:20:00 +0000

One of my all-time favorite types of art is kids art. Especially if it was done by my kids. And since I can't bring myself to hang every coloring page they color, I have had to get creative when it comes to creating new artwork for my house.

Here is a project we did as a test for a classroom project. It's doesn't look all that flashy, but the more I looked at it the better I liked it.

First I bought a gallery-wrapped canvas. (I don't buy the extra thick ones because they are more expensive.)

This one is 18x24.

{I have been lucky finding inexpensive canvases at Big Lots lately (If you have a Big Lots) or by using coupons at one of the craft stores.}

Then I penciled in a grid to create squares on the canvas. It looked something like this:

You might notice that my squares on the actual painting are rectangles.

Just go with it. Whatever works, I say!

Then I zeroed in on the center squares, to make them the base color for the project, or thereabout. I painted them myself, then showed the kids how I could take that color and mix it with a tiny bit of white paint to change it a little bit. Then I painted the next square. I told them to now add a little more white, then paint the next square, then a little more...you get the idea.

We did the same going the other direction but adding black. The black was getting too dark, so we had to improvise by changing the blue/ green balance and only using a little black.

Either way, you want to go progressively lighter in one directions...and darker in the other.

You can make these changes extreme or subtle, depending on your taste.

I stayed with the kids and helped straighten up the edge lines for the younger ones (not too much!). And because I like a lot of brush strokes, we went back in and touched it up here or there after the paint dried, creating a little more visual interest.

This is an easy project you could do with any color groups.

My kids love when they see their art displayed on the walls.

Now, let's see how this project might look in YOUR living room:

Pretty neat, huh?

Don't be afraid to allow your children to explore their creative sides.

You may be surprised by what they can do!

What I Know on Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Jami) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:47:00 +0000

As life spins by, swirling around me like a storm some days, I can easily lose track of myself. It helps me to remember there are things I know for sure and truths I continue to discover as I remain evermore observant of the people around me. The older I get, the more I learn from simply remaining quiet and watching. This is hard for me, but I find it to be so useful, particularly when I am not sure what to say...an occasion to which I would have responded not-so-long-ago with a seemingly endless episode of "verbal diarrhea", as they call it.

And now that I have ruined your coffee with that visual, I'm going to share what I know today.
(Be advised, there are no guarantees for what I may or may not know tomorrow. LOL)

What I know:

1) I have really missed listening to music in the years that I have been raising little ones. I am SO enjoying having something other than "I'm a Little Tea Pot" back in my life. (I'm listening to Pandora as I write this post.)

2) I hate cleaning chickens!

GAG ME!

3) I have MUCH work to do.

4) For whatever reason, the process of editing photos is like Prozac to me. I swear, when I am stressed, I can sit down an lose myself there, then emerge from my office a new person. It may sound strange, but it is therapy for me and so I composed this little love letter: