Home is Where My Story Begins

Rainbow Dish Towels - A Good Beginner Sewing Project

2013-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

I think I've discovered a perfect project for someone who is learning to sew.

My friend, Diane, had a birthday last week. Diane is my co-mom. When our big kids were 3, and we were pregnant with the little kids, we had this grand idea. We decided that if we both worked half time, opposite schedules, that we could take care of each other's kids, save a bundle in child care, and choose any preschool we'd like for our kids to attend. So, we bought new cars that could handle 4 kids, traded in our sanity, and raised our kids together (with the help of my mom when I went back to work full time). I'm lucky enough to have lots of family close by. We have many aunts, uncles, and grandmas who have always been like additional sets of parents to my kids, but Diane and her family get "honorary family status" around here.

Anyway... Diane's birthday was last week and my daughter wanted to make something for her. She has a new sewing machine and I thought this would be a great way for her to get to know her machine. We have a stack of flour sack towels in the sewing cupboard, and I have every color of thread in the rainbow, so we didn't even need to purchase supplies. She chose her stitch, threaded the machine, and got to work.

There are a few things I really love about this project:

1. You have to thread the machine 6 times. Threading the machine can seem like a daunting task when you are unfamiliar with your machine, it's new, or you haven't used it in years. This project gives lots of practice in a very short amount of time.

2. It may sound crazy, but sewing a straight line IS NOT always easy! The most common sewing question I'm asked is, "Do you have any tips for sewing a straight line?" It takes practice and you need to know where to look as you are sewing. (Looking at the needle is not the way to go. You need to watch your presser foot or an outside guide that you have set up.) You can see that my daughter's lines are not always perfectly straight. (Friends, Diane doesn't mind. As my daughter was sewing, and noticed that she was off a bit, she said, "It's ok, Diane will like anything I make for her.")

3. The number one reason this is a great beginner project is that it is really cute and practical! Who doesn't want a rainbow dish towel in their kitchen?

I buy my floursack towels in a 5-pack at Target and keep them on hand for quick sewing and embroidery projects. If you are learning to sew, this a great place to start. Play with your stitches too! My daughter's machine has 60 different stitches. Her next dish towel could take on a whole new look!

Happy sewing!

Shortbread Salted Caramel Bars

2013-05-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

I made a batch of Shortbread Salted Caramel Bars the other day, for the Teacher Appreciation Lunch at my kids' school. My daughter has informed me that a couple of different people have told her how much they loved them and that they'd like the recipe. Well, friends, here it is!

***WARNING: Lots and lots of butter used here!***

The recipe originally comes from Annie's Eats. I made a few changes in my own version, but I'll walk you through it.

For the shortbread layer:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
***I also added a 1/4 cup of water to the mixture because mine was a little too dry.***

For the caramel layer:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I told you there was lots of butter!)
1 cup sugar
***I also added 1/4 cup of brown sugar because I like a darker caramel.***
4 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate layer:

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
***I used the whole bag of chocolate chips, because there's no such thing as too much chocolate.***
1 tsp. light corn syrup
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
***I didn't use a full stick, just because it's a lot of butter. I cut it down to 6Tbsps. Whew! Think of all of those calories I just saved!***

Sea salt, for sprinkling

To make the shortbread layer, preheat the oven to 325° F. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a fork to blend, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. ***Add water if you do my version.***Transfer the dough to a 9x12 pan and press. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.

To make the caramel layer, combine the butter, sugar (***both sugars if you're doing it my way***), corn syrup and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring CONSTANTLY, until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue simmering and stirring until the mixture turns an amber color and thickens slightly. This step took me about 20 minutes of constant stirring. Pour the mixture over the cooled shortbread layer, smooth the top, and allow to cool completely and set. I refrigerated it for about 30 minutes.

To make the chocolate glaze, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour evenly over the caramel layer. Allow to cool for a minute or two and then sprinkle with sea salt. Chill, covered, until ready to slice and serve.

Cutting the cookies works best if they are completely set. I let mine set over night and then cut with a very sharp knife. This time, I made a double batch and used almost every last crumb. There were a few little scraps for us to nibble on, but I was secretly glad we didn't have half of a pan left over. I love these, and would have eaten my weight in ~~butter~~ cookies if they had been in my kitchen.

I hope the teachers enjoyed them and had a terrific Teacher Appreciation Week!

Happy baking!

A Few More Herbs

2013-05-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

I woke up pretty early on Saturday morning. The sun was out, so after a shower, I headed for the garden. We didn't need to leave the house until about 10:00, so I knew I'd have a few hours of quiet time to get a little yard work done.

I absolutely LOVE having a garden. Herbs are probably my favorite things to grow. I have several areas of my garden devoted to herbs, but this little box, on the deck, usually houses geraniums. Well, I decided to shake things up a bit this year and plant herbs right by the back door. It's a pretty small box, so it wouldn't fit too much. I planted basil, parsley, and a few purple basil plants (which I have never tried before).

My mom gave me this box several years ago, as she was moving out of her house. She found it in the back of the garage and knew I'd love it. She was right! I love cool old stuff. (My hubby tells me that it's just someone else's junk that they didn't want, but I'll stick with calling it cool old stuff.)

This was my last little project before cleaning myself up and heading out to do a few errands. My whole garden had been weeded, new dirt had been added, and a few veggies had been planted Ahhh, the peace and quiet of spending time in the garden.

The peace and quiet was suddenly broken by my son threatening to shoot his father with his Air Soft gun, and his father threatening to soak him with the hose. Long story short... one got pelted with plastic air soft pellets and the other was so wet that he had to change his clothes. Good times!
(By the way, I'm the mom that was NEVER going to allow guns in her house. Ever. Now the boys run around my yard shooting each other and cracking up laughing about it. Who wants to nominate me for Mother Of The Year?)

Happy peaceful gardening, friends.

Mother's Day

2013-05-12T19:35:00.001-07:00

In honor of Mother's Day, here are a few pictures of my mom and my hubby's mom, with us when we were kids. Happy Mother's Day!

Springtime Window Boxes

2013-04-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

It was planting day today! My window boxes have been looking very bare for the past few months!

They need about 6 weeks of Miracle Grow, sunshine, and tlc before they're really looking pretty.

I plant four window boxes and two hanging baskets.

I like to use the same plants every year. The red and white flowers make me so happy. Geraniums and baccopa seem to do really well in this area. So, if it's working, I'm not going to change things.

They should be looking pretty good by the 4th of July, unless the rain keeps pounding them.

Happy gardening!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2013-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

I think I'm really missing Hawaii. I walked by the macadamia nuts, at the grocery store the other day, and I could almost feel the warmth of Hawaii again. I couldn't pass them up. Ok, I saw the price of $8.49 and I did pass them by, but I kept thinking about them. Fast forward to a few days later. I was at the drug store, around the corner from our house, and they had a smaller container that was on sale for less than $5.00.
Sold.
I also had a package of white chocolate chips in the pantry, leftover from my Holiday baking. I smell cookies, don't you?

Here's the recipe:
1 Cup Crisco shortening (original, not butter flavor)
3/4 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup white sugar
Mix until soft and fluffy.

Add:
2 Eggs
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix just until blended.

Dry ingredients:
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Mix it up and add a 6oz package of macadamia nuts (slightly chopped) and about 8 oz of white chocolate chips.

Bake for 10 minutes (or less) on 350 degrees. My oven is a standard oven, not convection, and this is what I do.

Happy baking!

Lunchtime Salad Kits

2013-04-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

I've often said that I don't know how I dressed myself in the morning before Pinterest. I rely on the "my style" pinboard on my Pinterest page to help me put together outfits. Well, now I'm wondering how I fed myself before Pinterest.

Have you seen these salad kits all over Pinterest?

I can't tell you how happy it makes me to lunch all ready to go. My little kits have lettuce, Feta cheese, tomatoes, and a little bit of chicken. The dressing is in a separate container.

Yum.

Thank you Pinterest!

Sewing Camp Pillow Pattern

2013-04-27T15:29:00.001-07:00

I've been working on a pillow pattern for Grown Up Sewing Camp.

If you can sew a straight line and know how to use an iron, you can make this pillow! I can't wait to show you how to do it! The end result will be a 19x19 inch throw pillow.

Sewing Camp for Grown Ups, coming soon!

Migraines - Ugh

2013-04-18T18:38:00.003-07:00

I've had headaches for as long as I can remember. I get the typical, "Oooh, I wish my headache would go away" type of headaches, but I also get the, "Oh my goodness, if I took a hammer to my skull it would certainly feel better" type of headaches. I've been on different pain medications and a few things that were supposed to prevent the headaches from starting in the first place. I've tried massage therapy, yoga, relaxation exercises (all of which are great), but I still get headaches. I've worked with a naturopath (who is fabulous), and I'm taking all sorts of supplements. I would say my pain has improved with all of the above, but I still miss work for migraines and sometimes miss out on fun times with my family.

I finally broke down and went to a Neurologist who specializes in pain control for people with chronic migraines. I found out that I would not be a candidate for many of the medications she would want to try first. (Those darn kidneys would prefer that I not take them!) I'm totally fine with that because I really don't want to take medications. I'm fine with herbs and vitamins, but I'd like to stay away from the heavy duty stuff. The specialist's answer??? Botox. I'd never heard of this as a solution for treating migraines. I looked into it, and sure enough, there is quite a bit of research out there to support this. So, a few weeks ago, I had Botox injected into my neck and the top of my head. (I have a very wrinkle free neck now, thank you very much!) Headaches? Well, better. Actually, much better! I'm kind of thinking it's amazing.

Well, after a few weeks of feeling pretty good, the headaches have started creeping back into my daily life. My ears start ringing. My vision gets a bit blurry. Then the pain starts in. I started to revisit the suggestions my Naturopath shared. She told me that the absolute #1 no-no for a migraine sufferer is MSG. My first thought was, "Well, I'm glad I don't eat Chinese food take out or eat Top Ramen." I can't tell you how surprised I was to see MSG in many of the foods in our pantry. I had no idea. I half-way expected a package to come with a label that said Contains MSG or something like that. But, those sneaky food companies list it under lots of different names. The article below has some good information.

http://www.ehow.com/list_6580597_list-foods-containing-msg.html

Two of my kids' favorites (and two of the foods I have a hard time saying no to) contain MSG. It's in everything from frozen burgers to cheesy crackers!

I've decided that the only way I can control what I'm eating is to really control what I'm eating. I'm not talking just reading labels. I think I need to eat like people did in the pioneer days. I need to grow my own food, pick my own veggies, and visit a butcher once a week. (Ok, I know the pioneers raised their own animals and butchered them on their own, but I just can't go there.) Did you know that even some canned veggies contain MSG? Sheesh! You can't even eat right when you're trying to eat right!

So that's my story. I wish my story had a beginning, middle, and end, but I've been in that middle stage for about 20 years now. My friend, Diane, is doing an elimination diet. Maybe that's what I need to do, except I need to eliminate just about everything. Think how skinny I will be when I only eat home grown fruits and veggies!

Happy eating!

Spring Yard Clean Up

2013-04-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

We don't get a lot of sunny spring days around here. Most of the time, when you wake up in the morning, it's gray. As you move through the day, it's still gray. Sometimes, in stormy weather, it may turn a dark gray, but it's pretty much gray most of the time.

Well, today was one of those rare Seattle days where the weather man said it would be cloudy with... wait for it.... sunbreaks! I don't know if sunbreaks is a term used in other parts of country, but if you aren't familiar with this, I'll explain. You see, we dress in layers around here. Today was a capris, t-shirt, and fuzzy sweatshirt kind of day. Most of the day I needed a fuzzy sweatshirt, but once in a while the sun would break through the clouds (thus the name Sunbreaks) and I would happily take off my sweatshirt and soak up the vitamin D. Then the clouds would come back and I'd put the sweatshirt back on.

Well, since the forecast was for temperatures in the 50's and sunbreaks, I decided it was time to tackle a little spring yard clean up. I usually don't have Tuesdays off, but my teaching partner asked if I could swap.

I spent most of the day weeding. Ugh. I don't think anyone really loves weeding, do they?

I took a few minutes to snap a few tulip pictures. (No need to drive an hour North to the Tulip Festival! I have 2 or 3 in my own garden.)

If you aren't from around here, and don't know what the Tulip Festival is, it's really an amazing sight. There are rows and rows of tulips, as far as you can see. The colors are stunning.

So, my 3 little tulips really don't compare.

I played in the yard until it started raining (so much for sunbreaks) and then took a break and went inside. When my kids came home from school, the sun found its way out again, so the kids helped in the yard too. My son mowed and my daughter helped plant a few cold weather seeds, lettuce starts, and potatoes in the garden. I usually begin the yard clean up and cold weather planing in March, but this year the whole kidney surgery thing set me back. (And then I had to spend a week recouping in Maui after that!) It's late, but we're off to a good start.

Happy gardening!

Bob's Red Mill Flour

2013-04-16T19:29:00.001-07:00

Dear Bob,

I'm a fan of your flour.

It was a whole wheat cookie and bread kind of day today.

Thanks Bob.

Happy baking,
Becca

Lazy Mom's Cinnamon Rolls

2013-04-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

It was Saturday morning and my kids wanted something yummy. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood to be creative and find a recipe for something yummy. Pinterest to the rescue! I found this idea several weeks ago and it sounded very easy.

To make these cinnamon rolls, you roll out a tube (yes, I said tube) of Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough. You have to pinch the seams together so all of the yummiest doesn't fall out.

Spread 4 Tbsp of butter over the dough.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup brown sugar,

and then 1 Tbsp cinnamon.

Roll them up and slice them,

and then bake them at 350 for 12 minutes.

We topped the rolls with a little frosting and the kids had no idea they were not homemade!

Five minute rolls on a lazy Saturday morning are so much better than the kind that take 3 hours.

Happy baking!

Surprised!!! (And a Bit Overwhelmed)

2013-04-14T08:39:00.001-07:00

I had no idea.

No. Idea.

And can someone please tell me how 25 kindergartners, the entire office staff, my student teacher, and my husband can keep this a secret?

It was 9:15 on a Thursday morning and we were sitting on the carpet for calendar in kindergarten. My student teacher was teaching and I was sitting at the back of the carpet with the kids. We've had a bit of Spring Fever running through the class lately, and I was helping with crowd control. We've been working on Self Control in kindergarten and the morning was going extremely well. The kids were calm and in control of their bodies. Ahhhh. We were off to a good start.

All of a sudden, this woman walks into the room and starts shouting, "Hello everyone!" Ummm, excuse me.... but who are you and why are you disrupting our perfectly calm morning?

Turns out, it was Jill Taylor from our local radio station. Not only that, but she was followed by a parade of people including news cameras and large carts filled with gifts.

To make a long story short, one of the families in my class had nominated me for the Teacher of the Week award that is given by one of the news and radio stations in Seattle. They talked about me. I cried. I had a video camera in my face. Did I mention that I cried? And that there was a video camera? I really just wanted to hide at the back of the room with my friends who were watching from the safety of the corner.

The self control that I was so proud of, was TOTALLY gone. The kids were cheering when they heard they were going to be on TV. As the parent who nominated me was speaking, the kids were completely talking over her and I knew there was no way of getting their attention back. Self control was out the window. (I don't actually have windows in my classroom, but if I did, self control would have been out the window.)

So, what did we win? To start, they brought a giant check. Yes, it was several feet tall. Do I really take that to the bank to cash it? My hubby wants to take video of my trying to put it into the little tube at the drive thru and then post it on You Tube.

There was a gift card to the local nursery. (BEST gift EVER!)

There was also a gift card for a makeover at a local salon. How cool is that?

To top it off, they brought gift bags for all of the kids and gave us a little party.

I can't even begin to describe the emotions of that morning. I was totally overwhelmed. I had no idea how they kept it a secret from me. The kids actually told me it was a special day, when I greeted them in the morning, but I said, "I know! It's a Thursday in Kindergarten and every day in Kindergarten is special!" I was clueless.

You know, there are not many professions where people say, "Thank you for what you do. You've made a difference." Teaching is one of the jobs. I get to make a difference in the lives of kids and their families. I can't believe how honored I feel that a family would take it so far as to nominate me for something as big as this. That's pretty amazing!

Thank you so much to my friends, family, coworkers, students and their families for the nomination and congratulations. It was truly a "once in a teaching career" experience!

Antique Linens

2013-04-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love antique linens. My grandma had piles of them. I think everyone in the family took a stack, when we helped her move a few years ago, and we still had plenty for the thrift store.

Many of the linens hold memories of visiting Nanie and Baumpa's house. The bedspreads covered the twin beds for as long as I could remember. I always loved the nubby texture and the fringe at the bottom. Someday, when my kids are grown and I have an extra bedroom, I will have twin beds with white nubby bedspreads.

I don't use all of the linens, all of the time. I usually start pulling them out in Spring. They feel light and bright to me, which feels springy.

Most of the linens were made by my great grandmothers (at least that's what I think my mom said).

I wish I had the patience to do this type of stitching. It's beautiful.

Happy Spring!

Being Craftsy

2013-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've never thought of myself as a crafty person. I love to sew and quilt, but crafting is just not for me. Paper crafting is just one giant "fail" and glue/glitter projects are just asking for disaster. I've tried knitting and it's kind of growing on me, but I still don't feel I'm crafty.

When I heard of Craftsy, I wondering what types of online crafting classes they offered. Well, they offer just about everything! They do food crafting, baking, and lots of sewing and quilting classes. I knew I'd be hooked.

Here's the link, if you're interested. For the record, I'm not paid by Craftsy. I just think it's a really cool website and a brilliant idea. (And I'd love to teach a Craftsy class someday, but that's for another post.)

Craftsy

I started by signing up for several of Craftsy's free online courses. I usually have them playing on my iPad while I'm sewing. Last week I signed up for my first "real" course, meaning I had to pay for it. Camille Roskelley is one of my favorite fabric designers and I was super excited to see what her teaching style was like.

I really liked it! It was easy to follow. I learned a few new things, and I also felt validated! For the most part, I'm a self taught quilter. I've figured things out as I've gone along and asked lots of questions as my local quilt shops. I've read just about every book I could get my hands on from the library, but I've never known if I was really doing things properly. Not only did I learn that I'm doing many things right, but I also heard Camille say that she didn't know if she was doing things right, but it's always worked for her! See, even a professional quilt designer just goes with the flow.

I've loved reading and rereading Camille's first book. I love the colors in her house too.

Her next book is out soon and I can hardly wait!

Ok, friends... 2 books, 1 online class, and 1 happy (craftsy) quilter!

A Few More Hawaii Highlights - Warning: Picture Heavy

2013-04-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hawaii is truly a vacation spot to remember. We're not huge travelers. Every few years we try to take a big trip (somewhere we need to fly to). So, this trip was a really big deal to us. It didn't disappoint.

My son will always remember the beach, riding the waves, and snorkeling with the fish.

There's just a laid back style in Hawaii. The locals know how it's done.

The fruit markets are filled with "fresh picked today" fruits.

I've never seen avocados this huge before!

We even tried some new things!

Easter Sunday was a bit different this year. We contemplated going to the Purple Place of Prayer for our Easter Service, but then decided we'd just do our own thing.

Easter breakfast was a bit different too. The Kihei Cafe was calling our names.

We hit the aquarium when the kids were needing a break from the sunshine.
(Fair skinned Seattlites!)

I loved that the diver photo-bombed the kids!

My boys... like father, like son.

I was a bit worried that the kids would be bored at the luau. But, there were games.

They had flowers for the girls' hair.

The show was quite entertaining too.

(I see London. I see France. Someone's not wearing underpants!)

We did the Molokini Snorkel Tour. The grandmas had no interest in coming on this excursion. My hubby and both kids were horribly seasick. I snorkeled for a few minutes, but felt guilty leaving them on the boat to fend for themselves.

Once we finished up at Molokini, we headed to Turtle Town, where the water wasn't nearly as choppy. By then, the Dramamine started to kick in and everyone was feeling a bit better.

The highlight was the school of dolphins that found us.

Pretty cool!

We swam with turtles and felt much better on the ride home. For the rest of the trip, when the kids misbehaved, we threatened to take them out on a boat again. They straightened right up! I don't think they'll be asking to go on any whale watching tours any time soon! (Although we son TONS of whales from the shore!)

My mother in law opted for the Road to Hana Tour.
(The date is not correct on the photos.)

She absolutely loved her tour. It was an all day bus ride with lots of stops along the way. My hubby and kids get seasick (as we now know), but for me, I can't imagine anything worse than a five hour car ride on a winding road. I get horrible carsick. (We make quite the crew, huh?)

I was happy to just look at her pictures.

My youngest is learning to love taking pictures. I said in my last post that I took about 800 pictures in Hawaii, but I think at least 100 were taken by this little monkey.

And for our next lesson, we'll talk about making sure there is nothing distracting in the photo. This picture makes me giggle every time I look at it! My little one took this at the Luau.

Have I mentioned how similar my boys are? They both packed their luau clothes, not knowing what the other had packed. I love these guys.

It was the trip of a lifetime for our family. I'm so happy that our moms came along too. They both enjoyed themselves just as much as we did and I was thrilled to share this experience with them.

What else can I say?

It was a happy, happy trip!

Aloha!

My Quiet Blog

2013-04-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my friend Tammy said, "I knew you must have been sick because I kept checking your blog and there was nothing new."

Yep. I had kidney problems again. It was almost exactly a year ago that I had to have kidney surgery. This time it wasn't quite as bad and I was only down for a few weeks. The day I was told I needed surgery I told my doctor, "You have 19 days to get me better because we're going to Hawaii."

The hotel was booked, airline tickets purchased, and the kids and grandmas were practically packed. I absolutely HAD to get better quickly. I probably went back to work too soon, but just a few days before my trip, I was still in pain and completely exhausted. Fast forward to the day before the trip... hmmm...I was finally starting to feel better! Now, it's never a good thing to "start" feeling better the day before a long vacation, but I was hopeful.

The sunsets were beautiful and I suddenly found myself forgetting all about kidneys and focusing on more important things.

Sunsets also imply that there was plenty of sunshine. Oh, how we all loved the sunshine and HEAT! My daughter (and my mom) could have spent all day, every day at the pool. My son and hubby spent most of their time at the beach. My mother in law took the Road to Hana tour and spent hours happily reading her book on the deck. I bounced around from the beach to the pool, going wherever the kids wanted to go. As long as there was water and sunshine, I was as good as gold. I took almost 800 pictures in Hawaii, so you know photography kept me quite busy.

It was so amazing to see lush tropical plants and flowers, pineapples growing, and gorgeous hibiscus flowers everywhere.

We ate way too much (shaved ice every day), had very sore muscles from boogie boarding, and loved every minute of the Aloha State.

Now that I'm home, healthy, and rested, hopefully my blog won't be quite so quiet.

Aloha, Friends!

A Couple More Quilt Options

2013-03-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I shared my idea for my color story quilt. Here are a few more options.

I'm still liking option #1, but I also like the idea of introducing the yellow and blue.

Which one do you like?

What's Your Color Story?

2013-03-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Are there certain colors that are just "you"? You know what I mean... when your family is out shopping for your birthday and they see a shirt in "your color" and they know it's perfect for you. Right now, I'd have to say that red, tan, white, and brown are definitely my colors. I was looking through some rooms I had pinned on Pinterest and noticed a theme.

They may not all be seasonally appropriate, but you can totally see the color story here, can't you?

I've been thinking about new quilts recently and the colors I'd love to use. I'm using the colors in the above pictures as my inspiration. I also found these color combinations on Pinterst and I'm kind of liking them too.

Here's an idea I came up with. We'll see how it goes.

That's my color story, and I'm sticking to it.

Happy quilting!

Herbs

2013-03-04T13:13:00.002-08:00

Why, hello there little herbs!

Do you feel that sunshine? Are you waking up?

It's almost time to start gardening again!

Middle School Photography Class

2013-02-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we took a little road trip over to Eastern Washington. Great Grandma celebrated her 90th birthday and we made the trip over to throw her a little birthday party. My 14 year old nephew had a photography assignment to work on while we were over there. I jumped at the chance to tag along with him. (14 year old boys LOVE it when their aunts want to tag along!!!)

His assignment had to do with nature and landscape photography. Perfect! Eastern Washington is full of great opportunities for landscape pictures. We went up to the cemetery because it's the highest point in town and had the best views of the wide open spaces. (Please don't tell me I'm the only one with Dixie Chicks running through my head now. Who doesn't know what I'm talking about?)

Here are a few of my favorites from our little photoshoot.

I offered to go with him to class on Monday morning so I could explain why we took the photos we did. He didn't think that was such a good idea. Typical. I can't wait to find out what "our" next assignment is!

Baking With Kindergartners

2013-02-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

We started our cooking unit in kindergarten today. I always like to start with something really fun and really yummy. They were literally jumping up and down when I pulled the chocolate chips out of the bag. Our project involved math, reading, writing, and an experience that some kids had never had the chance to participate in before.

When I bake with my class, I always bring extras for my coworkers. Last night I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookie dough and then put it in the fridge. I used our portable oven in the classroom to bake them up. These were the cookies "untouched by kid hands" that I offered to my friends. The email usually reads something like this:

There are warm cookies in kindergarten today! The cookies on top of the oven are up for grabs. Kid hands have not touched these cookies. Help yourselves.

It takes about 2 minutes for the teachers to start wandering in.

Want to know why we make sure to have cookies untouched by kid hands? I sent each table group to wash their hands before helping with the measuring, mixing, and baking that we did in the classroom. One of my little boys had just finished drying his hands when I turned to look at him and I said, "Oh, Pumpkin, can you go wash again? We don't want to bake with our fingers in our nose."

Even though I'm sure those germs all bake out, I'll always have your backs Friends. There will ALWAYS be warm cookies, untouched by kid hands. Always.

Happy ~~nose picking~~ baking!

I'm In Country Living Magazine!

2013-02-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

The March issue of Country Living Magazine arrived in my mailbox last week.

I love it when my Country Living arrives. I curl up with a blanket, thumb through the pretty pictures, and then save the real reading for later. (Saturday morning is the perfect time to actually read the articles.) Well, anyway... I sat down on the couch with my magazine, started thumbing through, and there I was!!! Right there, on page 14, right next to the dog food add, you'll find me!

My little blog is way down at the bottom, in tiny print. I'm not quite cool enough to have my picture in there, but I'M IN THERE! You might remember, back in September, my blog was in the running for the Country Living Blue Ribbon Blogger Award. I didn't win the grand prize chosen by the judges, and I didn't win the overall Reader's Pick, but I did win Reader's Pick for the lifestyle category. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to go to New York, but I did get to be featured on the Country Living Website and now I'M IN THE MAGAZINE!

It made my day. Ok, it made my year!

Happy reading!

A Little Family Room Love

2013-02-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

The family room was clean and the kids were at school...
RUN!!! Get the camera! I snapped a few pictures of the family room before the clutter arrived home from school. Well, now that didn't come out quite right. I love my kids!

Happy cleaning!

The Great Seattle Ferris Wheel

2013-02-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

My kids didn't have school on Friday. They were off for their mini mid winter break. My district was still in session, but due to my job share I was off as well. (Have I mentioned how much I love job shares?)

We woke up Friday morning to SUNSHINE AND BLUE SKIES! That's absolutely unheard of for Seattle in February. We couldn't just sit around inside all day, so I decided to take the kids to the Big City. I really don't like driving to Seattle, but occasionally I will venture down to the zoo or the aquarium. The new ferris wheel is right by the aquarium, so I figured I could manage.

The line wasn't too long. Once we were in the glass gondola, the amazing views began.

The kids were particularly impressed with the view of Mt. Ranier and the stadiums.

We loved the shadow picture too. (That gray/blue building is the aquarium. See, I told you it was close!)

My daughter took this next picture. A day-cruise boat was coming in with a group of people.

This was our new BFF. She was by herself, killing some time before catching a plane back to Massachusetts. As we were waiting in line, one of the attendants asked how many were in our group. When I told him there were 3 of us, he scooted us to the front of the line and told us that this would be our new BFF. Considering that we made our way to the front of the line in 2 minutes instead of 20, I'd say she's our new BFF alright. Honestly, I don't remember her name, but she was very nice and humored us with lots of conversation.

(Side story: My hubby and son are both pretty quiet guys, but my daughter and I will talk to anyone and everyone. We always joke that we make new best friends everywhere we go. The attendants on the ferris wheel couldn't have picked a better group to welcome someone in. Yep, new BFF.)

Seriously, isn't this gorgeous?

Happy kids, happy mom, and a day filled with fun and memories.

Sadly, we're back to rain today.

P.S. If you're feeling sorry for my hubby and wondering why he didn't get to come. He didn't think the idea of heights AND water sounded like fun. He's not a fan of either.

Happy sunny February!