Home is Where My Story Begins

Things We Love

2012-02-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Quilt is Done

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, this Pottery Barn inspired quilt was about 10 years in the making. When my son got the itch to redo his bedroom, last summer, I finally got my act together and started making it.

The fabrics are from a quilt shop that is no longer in business, but they are men's shirting material. I decided to go with a simple "x" pattern for the quilting.

In the pictures, the quilt looks very blue, but there is actually quite a bit of orange in the fabrics.

Happy sewing!

Sugar Cookies For My Valentines

2012-02-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

I make sugar cookies for just about every occasion. My daughter had a friend over on Saturday, so it was the perfect opportunity for some cookie decorating.

I didn't have any pink or purple sanding sugar on hand, and of course the girls only wanted pink and purple. I usually buy my sanding sugar from Williams Sonoma, because I love the bright colors. With a little sugar, food coloring, and an empty Ziploc, I made my own sanding sugar and it turned out great.

A cup of sugar and one or two drops of food coloring is all you need. Shake it all together, in a Ziploc, until there are no lumps of color.

My color wasn't as vivid at the color from Williams Sonoma, but it sure was less expensive!

Here's the recipe for the sugar cookies, if you haven't seen it before.

Happy baking!
Happy Valentine's Day too!

My Motto

2012-02-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

Yep, that sums it up.

Life's short. Eat cookies.

I found the sign down in Snohomish, at Joyworks. I love that store. (Now that my sister informed me that there's a downstairs.) If you know me (in real life), then you know that there will be warm cookies any time you stop by. That sign really needed to live in my kitchen.

The cabinet was from my Great Aunt. Now that we've restained the cabinets, it matches perfectly in the kitchen.

The old scale and antique cheese graters were antique store finds, quite a while ago. I love the chippy red paint on the scale.

Want to know what tomorrow's post is about? Duh. Cookies!

Happy baking!

Home and Family Friday

2012-02-09T20:51:00.000-08:00

Time to link up your projects from the week. You know the rules.

A Few Superbowl Snacks

2012-02-07T18:21:00.001-08:00

We hung out at home to do ~~report cards~~ ... I mean watch the Superbowl on Sunday. No big parties, but we did have a few Superbowl snacks.

I made P-Dub's cookies. My hubby had been begging for cookies with butterscotch and oatmeal. I decided to take out the strawberry jam, and add a layer of butterscotch chips instead. Next time I'll cook them for a shorter time than the recipe says, but the recipe is definitely a keeper.

We also made a Parmesan, cream cheese, artichoke spread to snack on. I loved it on the little bread rounds. The spread is just 1 block of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of mayo, 1 can of artichokes (diced), and a little green onion and parsley for color. I put it on the bread rounds and baked them until they were warm.

We had homemade, crispy chicken strips, with blue cheese dip (from scratch), and some smoked Gouda mac and cheese. It was dark by the time those came out of the oven, so I didn't bother taking a picture. Claire, my instructor in the food photography class, says not to even bother if there is no natural light. You'll have to use your imagination. It was a yummy dinner.

Happy cooking!

For the Love of Old Books

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

I recently posted about Things I love. One of the things that made the list was Things With History. I love treasures that tell a story. Even more special is a treasure that tells part of my own story, and reveals a little bit about where I'm from.
These old books belonged to my Grandma. (Yes, that's an empty picture frame. I have a problem with setting picture frames out, and then never filling them with pictures.)

They have the neatest old covers.

The inside of the cover is beautiful too! They just don't make books like this anymore.

Here's my favorite. This is a bible that was on my grandma's bookshelf. Inside, it says, "For Our Dear Mother. From, Edith and Chester. August, 1927." Edith and Chester were my grandmother's parents. So, this bible belonged to Edith or Chester's mother, my great-great-grandmother. How cool is that... just to know that I'm holding the same bible that my great-great-grandmother held.

There are even hand written notes inside the margins that were written during church services or bible studies.

I also have an old hymnal from Seattle Pacific College (now Seattle Pacific University). Both of my grandparents, both parents, several aunts, uncles, cousins, and I also went there.

If you look around my house, you'll see that I decorate with lots of old books. To most people, that's all they are... just old books. To me, they're part of my history and it's amazing to hold a little piece of history in my hands.

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

Happy Birthday

2012-02-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

My oldest is now 11. Eleven years old. My little boy. He doesn't invite friends over to play anymore. He asks if they want to come over and hang out. I can't tell you how many times a sweet older woman has stopped me in a store, and told me that my children are beautiful and to cherish every minute because the time goes by so quickly. Those ladies were so right.

Eleven years ago, this weekend, I was sitting in my child birth class. I was pregnant with my first baby. At the beginning of class, the instructor went around the room and asked each of us how we were feeling. When it was my turn, my response was that I was feeling "done". There was a little laughter in the room because I was four weeks away from my due date.

As we were driving home from child birth class, I remember telling my husband that I didn't know what it felt like to be at the very end of pregnancy. I had never had a baby before. But, I told him that I just felt like the pregnancy was at the end. Done. I made him stop at the drug store on the way home and I bought some of those disposable pads they use on hospital beds. I had a fear of my water breaking in bed and then having to replace the mattress. I went home and put the disposable pad on my bed, went to bed that night, and my water broke. Just like I said, "I'm done." My baby boy came four weeks early, which was a good thing because he was over 7 pounds.

Happy Birthday to my big 11 year old!

Home and Family Friday

2012-02-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends. We made it to Friday! Last week's fan favorite was the Valentine's tablescape from Tablescapes by Diane. I haven't even thought about Valentine's Day yet!

I couldn't believe how many projects were linked up last week. There were almost 100! It makes me happy to host a great party that so many people want to join.

What do you have for us this week? I'd love it if you'd grab my button and become a follower. I have to admit, I've started to equate my self worth with the numbers of followers I have. (Most people have to pay for therapy. I can just share my secrets with you guys and then I feel better.)

Happy Friday!

Pottery Barn Inspired Plaid Quilt

2012-02-01T09:31:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, Pottery Barn had a really cool plaid quilt in their Teen catalog. It was just a bunch of different plaids and stripes, cut into squares, and sewn together. I always thought it would be fun to make a quilt like that for my son.

I found the perfect fabric, all bundled together in fat quarter packs, at my favorite quilt shop. I loved the fabric because it had the look of men's shirting. I bought it, brought it home, and it sat in my craft room for about six years.

Well, I finally got my act together. It's almost done. All I have to do is bind it and put it on my son's bed. I wonder how many years it will be until I get around to doing that part!

Happy quilting!

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

Gift Wrap Station

2012-01-30T16:19:00.000-08:00

I have a little Pinterest inspired organization for you today.

I few weeks ago, I saw this idea for storing gift wrap. The pin showed two big bike hooks, used as wrapping paper storage. Brilliant! My hubby picked up a package of hooks for me when he was at Lowes.

I found the studs and screwed them right into the wall. Done. (Sorry, Honey, I didn't even use a level or a tape measure. I just eyeballed it.) The wrapping paper is now off the floor and organized. Don't you just love Pinterest?

My crafting space is looking so organized!

Happy organizing!

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

Bar Keeper's Friend

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Let me start by offering my sincere apology to the ladies at Williams Sonoma. They have suggested this product to me for YEARS, and every time, I politely decline their offer to add a bottle of Bar Keeper's Friend to my purchase. It wasn't until I saw a pin on Pinterest, that I had to think twice about this product.

My plates look horrible. I've had them for several years and my silverware leaves marks on my plates. I wash the plates. I scrub the plates. The dishes are clean, but the marks are still there.

Here's a closer look.

I saw a before and after on Pinterest of someone who used Bar Keeper's Friend to remove the silverware marks from her plates.

Oh. My. Goodness. Do you see this?

That's the same plate!

Seriously. I would not lie to you... same plate!

It takes more than one try to make a believer out of me. So, I took out one of my small plates. Here's the before.

And now the after.

Hmmm. The Williams Sonoma ladies always want me to buy this to use on my All-Clad. Now, here is a tough stain.

Ummm, excuse me... why didn't anyone tell me about this? Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma... did you know about this??? Ok, they probably did tell me about it, but I just didn't listen.

I'm tellin' ya, this stuff is amazing! I bought mine at ACE hardware, but I know they also sell it at Williams Sonoma. (And when the ladies at Williams Sonoma try to tell you about this stuff, you need to listen to them.)

Happy dish washing!

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

A Few Favorite Photos

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was browsing through photos the other day, and found a few favorites.

I can't really put my finger on the things I love about these pictures. They're just simple.

Happy picture taking!

Home and Family Friday

2012-01-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

Last week's top link-up was this organized closet from An Oasis in the Desert.

I love organization.

One of my favorite links last week was the story telling CD that Rebekah made. Story telling is a lost art and her post was amazing.

Ok, we're ready to see what you have for us this week! I'd love it if you'd become a follower and grab my button. Speaking of becoming a follower... there are 602 of you following along with this little blog of mine! You guys are amazing. I know I'm not able to reply to comments as much as I'd like, but please know that I appreciate every one! Thanks for following along.

Just Pretty

2012-01-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

I love old Mason jars. They're just pretty.

Happy Tuesday!

Pinterest Inspired Valentine Garland

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

My daughter, her friend, and I spent much of a snow-melting-Friday creating these Valentine garlands.

It looks adorable, running across our fireplace.

I found the idea HERE on Pinterest. Reading the directions is impossible, but the pictures were easy to follow. Here's the picture from Pinterest.

My only suggestion is to make sure to string the garland at the top of the hearts. Our hearts are a little top heavy and keep flipping over.

Happy sewing!

Home and Family Friday

2012-01-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

I found it very amusing that the two most clicked on links, last week, were polar opposites.
Katie, from Raising Oranges, shared her cinnamon nuggets, covered in sugary yumminess.

Nancy, from Flatrock Cabin, shared her health altering muffins.

Clearly, you were all hungry for breakfast and just couldn't decide if you wanted to stick with the new year's resolution or bag it and go for the sticky cinnamon rolls.

We're ready for Home and Family Friday. Please remember to click on links you think are interesting. It helps me decide who to feature the following week. I'd love it if you'd grab my button and become a follower.

Happy Friday!

The Snowmageddon Seven - Pounds, That Is

2012-01-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

It started snowing last Sunday and it hasn't stopped since. We are really not used to this around here. An inch of snow shuts down schools and throws drivers into a tailspin. Now the ice storm is here.

Picture from my local news website.

My shed looks like a little Christmas cottage, with a foot of snow on top.

The deck doesn't look ready for lounging any time soon.

Do you see this? We have over a foot of snow!

The trees aren't holding up so well, and take a look at the pile on top of the picnic table!

My daughter has an ever-growing icicle collection.

We've all heard of the "freshman 15". I'm calling this week's weight gain "the snowmageddon 7". Don't you think that sums it up? Too many home baked treats + lots of cocoa = snowmageddon 7.

Happy sledding, baking, cocoa drinking, and movie watching.

Stay warm Pacific Northwest friends!

Motivation

2012-01-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons I love Pinterest. I love the craft projects, kid projects, sewing projects, home decor inspiration, and cute outfits. Lately, I've been noticing so many people pinning different motivators for excersize, diet, and weight loss. I think it's great that Pinterest can motivate people in that way.

Me? Well, I guess I'm more food motivated. I saw this yummy recipe for donuts and was extremely motivated to give it a try!

Maybe I should rethink my motivation. It might help my waistline a bit.

Well, for now, I'm enjoying my old fashioned donuts. It's another snow day for us, so I'll see how many calories I can burn on the sledding hill.

Happy snow day!

Click here if you'd like to follow me on Pinterest.

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful

2012-01-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

The weather man said that we were in for a dusting of the white stuff. I'd say we have a bit more than a dusting.

When you live in the Pacific Northwest, home of the everlasting rainy day, and you wake up to a winter wonderland, the world seems to shut down. Everything is quiet. No cars. No rain pounding down. Even the sound of kids building snowmen is a bit muffled by inches of snow.

We play outside for a while, and then come in for cocoa. Our snow clothes go into the dryer, while we warm up, but then it's back outside. We know this won't last. Cooper's a big fan of the white stuff.

I tried to convince my kids to pose for a picture by the shed, but they were too busy throwing snowballs at each other.

After playing outside, for hours on end, we're all a little cold and tired. Curling up with a good book is the perfect activity on a cold winter day. P-Dub and I bonded over the weekend. I read her book, the love story about how she met her hubby. Awww. So sweet. I just love her. She's my idol. (Sorry Martha, she's taken over your spot.)

Happy Monday!

Happy Day

2012-01-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

Six inches and still coming down.

Happy ~~Sunday~~ Snow Day!

Baking Tarts and Making Memories

2012-01-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

Most of you know, I'm a teacher. I work in a job share situation, which is the best gig ever! I work Monday through Thursday, and have Fridays home with my kids. My kids' school gets out at 12:55 on Fridays, so I'm grateful to be able to be home with them after school

Last week, my son walked in the door, and said, "I love Fridays because I know you're home and the house always smells so good when I get home." I thought it was so funny that he said that, because I always felt the same way about Wednesdays, as a kid. My mom was home on Wednesdays, and I always looked forward to seeing what she had made.

Yesterday, I started these yummy little creations before my kids came home from school.

When the kids got home, we finished the project together. I found these little tart pans at a garage sale, about 15 years ago. I rarely use them, but I had some puffed pastry sheets in the freezer and figured they'd work perfectly together. The kids cut the pastry rounds and then put them into the molds.

They weren't perfect, but perfection isn't important when you're working with puffed pastry. It all just puffs up anyway.

We spooned in a little jam and baked them for 10 minutes, in a 400 degree oven.

Once they were golden brown, we topped each tart with a mini sugar cookie (recipe here), sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Super easy, quick, and yummy! That's what I like.

Happy baking!

I'll be stopping by a few linky parties.

My Other Blog and Home and Family Friday

2012-01-12T19:37:00.000-08:00

Well, it's time for Home and Family Friday. I thought I'd share a few recent posts from my other blog. On Love, Laughter, and Literacy, I share ideas about keeping kids and their experiences at the heart of your home. Here's a post about making puppets with kids. (I love this theater that my friend, Diane, made. It hangs in a doorway and rolls up into a little fabric case when you're done.)

If you haven't done this already, it's time to plant Paperwhites!

Oh, by the way, if you didn't read my story about the Kindness of Strangers, be sure to check it out.

My RAVE in the Seattle Times, last November, was chosen as one of the top 10 raves in 2011. Yeah to the kind strangers I met in the bookstore!!!

Are you ready to link up? I'd love it if you'd grab my button and become a follower.

No Time For a Blog Post

2012-01-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

Here's what I did tonight:

Yes, I look JUST like her when I do yoga. I have to suck my tummy in, just a wee bit, but other than that we could be twins. Well, maybe not identical twins. We're more like fraternal twins, and I'm frumpy twin and she's the cute skinny twin. But really, I did go to yoga tonight, which is why I have no time for a new blog post.

Here's what I really WANTED to do tonight:

Remember these cute little snowman cookies from last year? You don't remember them? Good. Let's just pretend that this is a brand new post, then.

Happy baking!

I made plain round sugar cookies. If you don't bake often, I'm sure those slice and bake cookies would be fine too. There is nothing better than homemade sugar cookies. If you need a great recipe, click here for my favorite sugar cookies.

The thing I loved best about these melting snowmen is that they are supposed to look melty and messy. Messy is perfect for my kids.

After adding some sloppy frosting, it was time for marshmallows. We put some marshmallows on a plate and microwaved them for about 50 seconds. When they were all puffy and smooshy, we sprayed a little Pam Cooking Spray on our fingers and plunked the marshmallows onto the cookies. The Halloween sprinkles came in handy and became eyes, buttons, and a nose.

Super cute and super easy! It's so nice to make cookies that I'm not stressing about decorating perfectly. Quick, easy, cute, and kid friendly... can't ask for much more than that!

Check out these parties I like to link up to.

An Experiment with White Balance

2012-01-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

I tried out a new recipe this weekend. I found it in Cooking Light Magazine and it looked pretty yummy. It was a recipe for a pound cake, but the twist is that it calls for a fruit that is fresh and in season right now. I'm not a huge grapefruit fan, but I had to admit, I sounded pretty good. I used the grapefruit zest in the pound cake and the juice from the grapefruit in the glaze. The family gave it a thumbs up.

As yummy as the cake was, this post isn't about cake. As I was taking pictures, I decided to play around with the white balance. Each of the following pictures was taken with the same settings.
1/320 f/1.8 ISO 400
The only difference in each picture is the white balance.

I usually take all of my pictures with auto white balance. It's still too much for me to think about my choice of lens, f stop, ISO, shutter speed, and then add white balance to the list. It's still not natural for me. I strive to be more like my cousin, Tina. She's a professional photographer. If you're looking for photography inspiration, you should check out Tina's blog.

At the end of my experiment, I thought my favorite picture was the one taken on auto white balance. I'll keep practicing.

Happy picture taking!