The MisAdventured Markeys

Measure Once, Cut Twice

2011-09-04T21:42:00.000-04:00

It has been a summer filled with crafts - from wall art to a DIY desk project to some fancy cards. I have been on a crafting spree!

I enjoyed following several different blogs which has lead to a very lofty projects "to-do" list. Expected year of completion: TBD.

I stumbled upon a post on Two Girls Being Crafty, and I thought, "How difficult can Intersecting Circle Wall Art be?"

Answer: Very difficult.

There was a lot more math involved in this project than I first realized. And unfortunately, my poor measuring skills did not assist my problems.

If you are feeling rather adventurous.... or in my case, misadventurous, check out the link above to see the full step by step instructions.

The supplies for this craft are relatively simple and inexpensive, and the final result is lots of fun! The only thing I needed to purchase was the canvas. I cut out the football/ellipse pieces from paint tiles I got at Home Depot. And I had the rest of the supplies in my craft bin.

After cutting out all 96 paint tiles into little football/ellipse shapes, I laid them out to make sure the color ratio was to my liking. Then, the fun began!

I'm sure my English Lit professors would be proud of my continual use of my textbooks.... to help flatten out pasted pieces of paint tiles (oooh, alliteration!). :-)

Finally, after hours of cutting, re-cutting, pasting, and shooing (Oliver), the masterpiece was complete! It is now hanging on the landing of our stairs! Very snazzy!

Measure Once, Cut Twice was brought to you today by Mathematics. Who says you won't use this stuff in the real world.

Here are the four attempts I made at trying to find the correct size circle to complete my project. Hooray, red circle, for being a winner!

Let Them Eat Cake

2011-06-14T17:20:00.001-04:00

Life has been unbelievably busy lately. James and I have packed more events within the next couple of months, than I probably have in the last couple of years... ok, not exactly, but pretty close.

In fact, a few days ago I was stressed to my limits which lead to a much needed realization that I need to be relying on God's strength and not my own. It's the only way to get through the next couple of weeks.... and well, life.

"Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!" 1 Chronicles 16:11

Amongst all of the chaos (or so it sometimes feels), I have somehow added time for some fun (and creative) projects.

Big project # 1...... RUBIK'S CUBE CAKE. Seriously.

James runs an after-school cubing club with some students, and this past week was the BCC 2011 Championship!

And of course, I could not resist a reason to bake a cake! James has been planning this event since January, and while I had plenty of time back then, I'm pretty sure a Rubik's Cube Cake would not have survived winter ...which left making a tower of deliciousness for my Wednesday To Do List.

I'm sure many of you are not planning to make a Rubik's Cube Cake any time soon, so I'll leave out most of the details.... However, I followed this very cool guide on Instructables if you are looking for details.

Step One: Make some cake....

Step Two: Make Marshmallow Fondant!

I've never made regular fondant, but this stuff was really good! To make your own Marshmallow Fondant: Melt 1 bag of marshmallows. Add about 3/4 a bag of powdered sugar & two tablespoons of water. Crisco your hands and counter, and knead it until its smooth and stretchy ball.

Step Three: Make a mess.

Step Four: Recruit your friends to do the hard stuff.... Thanks Heather!

Step Five: Reminisce on a childhood favorite pastime....

Step Six: Consult with Hubby to make sure you get the correct color orientations....

Step Seven: Assemble your Rubik's Cube Cake.....

Step Eight: Enjoy! ....Delicious & unNutritious!

.....more projects and misAdventures coming soon.....

When the Weather Outside is Frightful...

2011-01-08T23:19:00.000-05:00

I have been hearing a lot of hate for the recent ~~frightful~~ *delightful* weather.

So I've composed this list of....

Things to Do

When the Weather Outside is....

Snowy:

1. Stay inside & keep your toesy warm! Here are some inside activities:

Read a good book.
Start a First Snow of the Winter Tradition. Ours is pancakes.
Say "See Ya" to Christmas (We did this one today).
Invent a new indoor sport.
Find a Fix-It project to do around the house (Coming Soon.... Christa's Adventures with a Desk).
Plan out how to ideally organize your home. No action necessary.

Ok, ok, I'm sure many of you are saying, "Yeah, that's great, but I have to be outside to shovel the snow." Well, have no fear! The list continues....

2. Go outside & make the best of it! Here are some activities to make the shoveling more exciting:

Make a contest out of shoveling. First one to finish their section gets a hot cocoa *or* a hot bath *or* a hot bath in cocoa.
Squash little piles of snow that have started turning to slush. ::Squish::
Sing loudly & don't worry about the neighbors.
If you are working with other people, invent a story while you work. Each person takes turns telling part of the story. Here is a starter: "One day my car broke down on my way work. I decided to walk the rest of the way when a large porcupine crossed my path. He said to me...."

::Phew:: Now that your work is done, here is my favorite part....

3. Activities to do in the snow:

Make a snow angel.
Have a snowball fight. Team up against the rowdy neighborhood kids.
Make a snowman. Give him a rich back story.
Convince your hubby that you can go sledding without a sled (I haven't succeed with this one yet).

4. Remember the days when you were a kid:

The excitement of waking up and seeing the snow falling out your window.
The HOPE of hearing the words, "No School."
The begging to go sledding (hmm... somethings never change).
The first pancake of the first snowfall.
The delight of coming in from the snow bundled up, cold, runny nosed, and finding out that mom just made you some hot cocoa. :-)
Enjoy these times. Enjoy the Snow.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T10:47:00.014-05:00

“Forunto you is born this day in the city of Davida Savior, who isChrist the Lord.Andthis will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" Luke 2:11-14

I absolutely love Christmas! Here are some of my favorites from Christmas 2010:

Our first Christmas tree! However, it didn't stay like this for long....

Sending and sharing some love ♥

Baking for my first Cookie Swap - Six dozen Jam Kolache Cookies, a Polish tradition!

Steven singing in his school's Christmas play

(the kid in the center holding the fruitcake)

A little Unrelated-to-Christmas Cubing - Liberty Science 2010 Competition

Shipping boxes become a Kitten Adventure!

Gingerbread fun!

And of course,

the reason our Christmas Tree is nearly bare.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!

Oh, Facebook.

2010-12-06T21:52:00.002-05:00

Please excuse me from jumping on my soapbox.

In high school, I did not like to follow trends. I'm sure most of you can recall my wonderful fashion sense.

As of right now, I am beginning to feel a bit like a cow in a group of cattle. A recent trend told everyone to change their Facebook picture to a cartoon character. The supposed reason was to "end child abuse." I choose to changed my picture, but I did so fully understanding that I was not doing anything to end child abuse. I did so because I thought it was a fun way to reminisce of my childhood. It was fun to see what characters my friends chose, especially those who did not grow up in the same generation as me.

However, a few days after I changed my picture, I was being warned that I was now supporting pedophiles, and I must change back my picture! I'm not going to encourage this debate. However, this statement is not true. If you would like more information, see the following link: http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/cartoon.asp

However, this whole ordeal has made me realize, I am not a sheep. I am not a cow. I am not a hen. I purposely did not post the location that I put my purse during that trend "to find a cure for breast cancer." I purposely do not copy and paste other people's status' to "help support the cure for belly button lint" or whatever. And I don't "Like" everything under the sun just because 10 of my friends just did. These things are merely another way to shuffle people to the next trend or to the next "cause."

I am leaving my picture as Patti Mayonnaise because I am confident that I am not supporting a pedophile. I also know I am not doing anything to end child abuse by leaving it as a cartoon character. I plan to leave it like this as long as I like. And the next time I change my picture or my status will not be because of some trend.

Thank you Crazy Facebook Trend for making me realize that I really admire High School Christa.

Slooooowing Down

2010-11-11T15:08:00.001-05:00

Life seems to be moving at such a fast pace. Autumn is my favorite season, and I always hate the day that I realize the leaves are gone... Winter is coming. Sometimes it is good to take a moment and slow life down.

My Mondays are usually the biggest victim of Zoomatitis, so this past Monday, I decided not to do my usual RUSH through every bit of housework. Instead, I woke up, and I decided to work at a slow pace. To just get done whatever I was able to complete. To my surprise, I actually finished my usual Monday work-load, and I had time to do some baking.

Unfortunately, baking lead to the smoke detectors going off.... which lead to this...

Oh well.

Anyway, I challenge you to take a day, and slow things down. Who knows, you may end up with an enraged cat hiding under your dishwasher.

The Obvious Choice

2010-10-27T21:41:00.001-04:00

A certain blogger, friend, and Unsocialed Homeschooler recently posed a debate that I had never considered... until now.

I after much thought and deliberation I have decided where I sit on the Ninja/Pirate Debate.

I will now present my case for Ninjas... The Obvious Choice:

Point 1: Ninjas are stealthy. Pirates are dirty.

Point 2: It takes a lifetime of training to become a ninja. This is not the case for pirates. A proper girl from a regal family can manage the pirate lifestyle in approximately 94 minutes of movie screen time.

Point 3: A ninja would sneak up on a pirate while he is enjoy his rum and... ATTACK. Pirate down.

Point 4: A ninja has mind tricks.... no wait, that is a Jedi.... I'm going to count this anyway.

Point 5: Pirates are dirty.

Agree? Disagree? Let me hear it.

(Also, I apologize for my lack of photos. I will mend this terrible mistake after my first encounter with a ninja or a pirate).

To Laurie and Clint

2010-10-16T21:51:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday was a very important day. Months and months of preparation all came together for a glorious celebration of the love shared by Laurie and Clint Stevens. The weather was perfect, the ceremony was elegant, and the reception was a blast.

I was so honored and excited to be a part of their wedding. I personally enjoyed the preparation leading up to the actual wedding... getting my second ever pedicure with the bridal party... running late to the rehearsal with Laurie to discover Clint waiting outside the church looking at his watch... watching Laurie's flower girl play with toys while dressed as a princess.... and of course, the anticipation and excitement that beamed from Laurie's face the whole day.

James and I also had such a wonderful time at the reception. Although he was feeling under the weather, he toughed it out and really seemed to enjoy himself too. We danced like two goofs and had a lot of fun.

Laurie did surprise me with an unexpected twist. During the cake cutting ceremony, I was called up to "assist." However, what proceeded was vanilla cake in my face. That's ok because James and I retaliated. We went around to each of the tables, and took silly pictures with all of the disposable cameras. Although it wasn't as delicious as vanilla cake in the face, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Goofiness aside, I wish them a marriage as wonderful as their wedding day: the natural ease to go with the flow when things don't always go as you expected, but also the delight that comes from the moments when everything aligns perfectly. Congratulations to Laurie and Clint!

Emergency Visits

2010-10-02T19:29:00.001-04:00

There is always that one child that ends up getting hurt.... a lot. And although James and I have not ventured into the world of raising kids, we have already had our first emergency visit to the doctor's office... Well ok, it was a visit to the vet.

Now this story would be whole lot more exciting if I had all of the details to the little guy's adventures, but I do not soooo..... [insert crazy story involving Crusoe tightrope walking, fighting off land sharks, and sky-diving through our living room here].

I'm sure it all went down just like that, and when I found him lying on floor Friday morning curled up in a ball, I wondered why he did not greet me with his usual purrs and kisses. I soon discovered, as I fed Oliver, that Crusoe injured his back left paw and was now limping around the apartment. Sadness and anxiety ensued.

James and I took him to the vet later that day, but they were unable to determine if his injury was the result of rough play with Oliver (involving an infected bite wound) or the above mentioned daredevil-ish escapades. They gave him a pain reliever and told us to call them in the morning.

So this morning we had hoped to see our kitten feeling better (this would have been emotionally and financially better). However, his limp was getting worse, and so we ventured back to the doctor's office to get his little paw x-rayed. The result of the x-ray was the discovery of a small fracture in Crusoe's growth plate.

Which resulted in this...

The poor guy now hobbles around the house. It is simply adorable, funny, and a little sad. However, I'm sure in a few weeks, he will be back to his old antics.

An Afternoon CatNap

2010-09-11T16:35:00.003-04:00

Back-to-School Burrito Night!

2010-09-07T21:41:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is everyone's favorite time of year! Back-to-School... err.... I mean... Burrito Night!!

After feeling a bit sick of the same old dinners, James and I decided it was time to attempt one of our favorites. Now, I have made burritos in the past... However, I am a bit sad to admit that these burritos were made from canned refried beans and enough cheese to feed a small country. Back-to-School Burrito night was all about homemade deliciousness!

Taste the Awesomeness for yourself:
* Rice seasoned with lime & cilantro
* Black Beans cooked with a little garlic, onion, & cayenne pepper
* Fresh Romaine Lettuce
* Homemade Salsa (tomatoes, corn, onion, garlic, & cilantro)
* Sour Cream
* and a modest amount of cheddar cheese

This meal took about an hour to prepare (and I did have James' help with prepping everything), but it was definitely worth the energy. We were very happy with the results of our little experiment, and will be making this dinner again. It may even become a Back-to-School tradition!

....I'll find any excuse for a fiesta!

A New Addition

2010-08-26T22:13:00.024-04:00

Yesterday, James and I took a stroll to our local animal shelter to adopt a new kitten. It was an easy decision to choose which lovable little guy would be joining out home - a playful and a bit spazzy 12 week old brown striped tiger.

The decision to expand our little family came from our current kitten, Oliver. About a week ago, James and I suddenly woke at 1:00am to the strange sound of our crying kitty. Carefully, we tip-toed out of our bedroom, scared of what we might discover. However, we did not find a cat pinned under a piece of furniture like I originally thought. Instead, we discovered our little boy meowing at his favorite tiger toy. The decision was made. Oliver needed a playmate.

We brought the little guy home, and although he was a bit scared, he seemed to quickly out grow the bathroom we were storing him in. Jumping, rolling, clawing, and pouncing his way about the room.

Anxiously, Oliver sat by the door awaiting to meet his new brother. We opened the door, and the boys were about to meet....

A few sniffs, some meows, lots of purrs, and Crusoe became the brother Oliver always wanted.

Yes, this is how it all played out.... in my mind.

In reality, there were a few meows, some growls, and lots of hissing. However, with some time the boys started playing together. They are still trying to establish their dominance, but things are much better then they were yesterday. We are currently keeping them separated and monitoring their playtime. We hope that in a few weeks, Oliver will no longer need to snuggle with a toy, but will now how a new brother to cuddle at bedtime.