The Well-Rounded Woman

A Worthy Carnival

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:56:00 +0000

I haven't participated in a blog carnival since since Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer gave up Works For Me Wednesday. But this morning I heard about a monthly carnival where you can link up the post you like most from the last month. Please check out the excellent links at The Saturday Evening Blog Post.

Project Runway Walk 2 - Fashion for 3

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:31:00 +0000

This week the Project Runway designers were treated to a challenge of designing for a top supermodel/actress - the lovely Rebecca Romijn, who happens to be hugely pregnant with twins! Rebecca looked great, but I'm happy to see that some supermodels put on weight while pregnant, even in places other that their tummies. Her face was a little fuller, but just as beautiful. I think this was a great new challenge, and certainly an area of fashion that could use some designer attention.

I loved almost all of the looks - there were only a few that were kind of out there. I wish that I had access to so many cute little dresses (in modest versions) when I was pregnant. Christopher's fuchsia top with black leggings and Johnny's black dress with white trim and a beautiful flower were favorites of mine that didn't make the top 3. There are so many designers still, you really have to watch Project Runway yourself to get to know them, but let's talk about the top and bottom three. The judges were all women this week, with Monique Lhuillier filling in for Michael. And I loved when Heidi mentioned that all four of them have been pregnant and certainly appreciate good maternity design.

Ra'mon's purple, racing stripe cocktail dress was crazy. The bust was beautiful, but it fell apart after that. The silver side panels did nothing for a pregnant body and I was not impressed by the lack of versatility. That kind of dress would have to be very well fitted to a pregnant mom, and by the next week her belly would have outgrown it.

Mitchell had a great idea, shorts on pregnant models (as opposed to the rest of us) look great and can be very casual chic. It's too bad everything turned out so poorly. Yes, Mitchell, it's so sad that you didn't go to fashion school like everyone else, but if you can't make your designs fit your model, and you can't sew them well, you have no place on this show.

Malvin is a weird egg. And he created a weird egg top. He called it his mother hen look and originally planned for jodhpurs, to look like chicken legs. Thank you, Tim, for talking a little sense into him. He admitted some problems with his "sling" top, but it's so odd. The judges didn't even know what to say.

The judges loved Shirin's dress and coat, and so do I. The braided seam above the baby bump was beautiful and the neckline had a great look too. The whole thing draped and fell very well. And the coat was just an added bonus, well-made with a fun, printed lining.

Althea did a black dress, that could be worn for an evening event. The intricate stripey straps were really great, and she managed to pull off a long look, while keeping it form fitting. (She said she used jersey.) This was the fanciest dress, and she did it well. It was slimming, despite room for a tummy carrying twins.

Louise made a sexy little lingerie-style dress that Rebecca said she would wear on a date with her husband. The judges admitted that it's not a versatile look, but the details were amazing. The lace applique, pleating, layers, shoulder straps made this a special piece.

And, drum roll, the big winner is Shirin! No surprise here, the judges loved her design and told her she should be in maternity wear. I think they really liked Althea and Louise's dresses too, but the wearability and versatility of Shirin's design put her over the top.

As for the loser, we say Auf Wediershen to Malvin, our own little bizarre egg. I was already predicting this last week, this guy's designs just don't fit in. I'm singing the song, "One of these things is not like the others." Mitchell got very lucky, I don't think he can make it through another week of shoddy work.

Have I mentioned yet that I love that Lifetime has started a 30 minute Models of the Runway show that gives a little perspective from the models. It also shows the designers choosing their models for the next week. You can catch it on Lifetime after Project Runway, or watch full episodes online.

San Francisco Treat

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:25:00 +0000

I was lucky enough to spend a few days in San Francisco last week with friends. I signed up for The Art Weekend, and convinced Jane to come along with me, and Jeanna to put both of us up and drive us around, despite her pregnant state. We had a fabulous time, thanks Jeanna & Jason!

We had one day of sightseeing, which didn't start until 11am because of our sleeping in. Hey, what is vacation away from your kids all about? We saw Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, Union Square, the SF MOMA gift shop, a little of Chinatown, and many, many bathrooms across San Francisco. (I was with 2 pregnant ladies, and my bladder was feeling their bad influence.) The MOMA bathrooms were the best, followed by the upstairs gift-shop bathroom at the Aquarium on Fisherman's Wharf. Just in case.

We walked. And walked. And walked. I didn't think Jeanna was going to make it. And then we took a few street cars and the cable car. We ate lunch at Boudin, the famous sourdough bread bakery, where we ordered the equally famous San Francisco clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. We walked for a couple miles trying to find somewhere for dinner, and finally stumbled upon a wonderful little Italian place - E Tutto Qua, which is housed in a two story, pie-shaped building and makes delicious house-made pasta. The panna cotta was fantastic too! (Can you tell that food is more important to me than sites?)

Saturday we headed to The Ferney Art Studio for classes. Jane took Photography from Nicole Gerulat and I really enjoyed my Illustrator: Making a Pattern lecture by Alma Loveland. Then while my friends visited Golden Gate Park, I took a screen printing class from Andy Kane. I had really been looking forward to it and the class was everything I imagined, except in fast forward. The normally four hour class was condenses to two hours, and pretty much all the hands-on portion was eliminated. Andy is a great teacher & I just wish I could have taken the long version of the class. I hope to get my screen printing stuff all set up in the next couple months and will post about it when I have projects going.

We managed to get in a late afternoon nap at Jeanna's apartment before a late dinner and soak in the hot tub. Sunday was a long day of driving, topped off by a kind of crappy stay on the Las Vegas strip, and more driving on Monday morning to get back to my much-missed family.

Next time: fly, not drive, take more classes, spend more time relaxing with friends, wander new areas of a very cool city. To sign up for some of these great classes, click the button below.

Beautifully Organized

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:54:00 +0000

The start of school in the fall (or 100+ degree late summer) is always a good time for new resolutions, routines, schedules and projects. If you don't use an electronic calendar, try these beauties from Cameron at Cottage Industrialist. Get the downloads for all 12 months at this post.

Project Runway, Walk 1 - Red Carpet Runway

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:19:00 +0000

After waiting so long, I can't believe Project Runway is back. I spent a few days in San Francisco last week with friends and every few hours we ran into a huge sign announcing the premiere on Lifetime. I even looked up the new website and sent my friend a fun phone message from Tim Gunn himself. I was excited to stay up late and watch the first episode! That excitement has worn off now that I realize that the show will air so late, but Season 6 looks like it has some promising designers.

I loved that the show was exactly the same as on that other network - I had been worried about changes. But Heidi, Tim, Mood, the workroom, the runway, and the music reminded me of why I love this show. And a red carpet challenge was great for the premiere. There was a wide and interesting range of dresses, complete with some designer drama. I'm too tired to get into all the details, so I'm skipping straight to the results.

We say a quick Auf Weiderschen to Ari Fish. My only question is why she was chosen to be on the show. Her design portfolio is wacky at best and the silver soccer hoodie she made for the red carpet was a joke.

Christopher Straub's dress was a clear favorite and definitely deserved the win for innovative design while staying red carpet appropriate.

Check out Lifetime's new Project Runway website, which looks like it has some cool features. There's a great zoom option on each of the designs and there are multiple images of each: front, back, detail, etc. You can only get to all those images by rating each design one by one, but you'd want to anyway, right? There are lots of videos, games, downloads, and extras on the site too. Can't wait for next week, but for now I still have the All Star Challenge and Models of the Runway, both of which are saved on my TiVo right now. Did anyone watch them last night?

School Shopping

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:55:00 +0000

I've had many of my friends talk about taking their kids school shopping recently. And I'm finally in on it a bit. My almost-kindergartner received a letter stating that all he will need of his own is a backpack... but, if we would like to donate things for the classroom they can use crayons, markers, glue sticks, etc. And we happily purchased those things for our school shopping, while I tried to reinforce the idea of sharing and that these things would not be for his personal use only.

But when people talk about school shopping, they usually mean new clothes for their kids, most of whom are growing quickly. But even when done growing, new clothes for a new school year seems to be the thing to do. I remember getting a few new outfits through junior high and high school, and even during college I made sure I had some new things every year.

But now, as it turns out, I have a totally different shopping style. I had a very interesting shopping experience last week, for which I am working on a post. Check back - you'll love it. Let's just say that my shopping style is called: i~~want~~needtoshopasoftenaspossible-itis. It's a gift and a disease. Thankfully I'm all about the bargains, or my husband would have left me and the inevitable credit card statements years ago. I try to keep things under control. So shopping for my brand-new gradeschooler should be nirvana for me. But I've already been living off that high for the last several years, which is when I started buying him clothes in size 5. And now he has a more than adequate wardrobe for kindergarten, all carefully logged into a huge spreadsheet that lists every stitch of kids clothing we own from size 2T to 8. My oldest is 4. And his mom is a freak.

The awesome camo backpack with orange trim that I bought for $6 at Gap Kids held up extremely well through a year of preschool and will be debuting at the local elementary school too. That left the ubiquitous lunchbox as our sole personal school purchase this year. And there was no question about what my son would pick. Transformers, all the way.

If it was up to me (and money was no object), my firstborn would head off to school with this adorable set, indicative of the monkey he is.

And if I had a girl, which I never will, this cute bunny set would do.

Right now I'm just thankful he's happy with the $7 lunchbox and a not-new backpack. It's going to be a great year. Good luck to all the new students out there! And to the moms who do their school shopping.

to my love...

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:43:00 +0000

make your own sweet card catalogue at blyberg.net. via beach bungalow 8.

A Visit From the Toothfairy

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:10:00 +0000

Today my first-born babe lost his first tooth. It's been loose & "wigg-i-ly" for several weeks but our dentist told me it would probably be several months before it fell out. And now my ~~baby~~ big boy will be starting kindergarten in less than two weeks and he will have a cute gap-toothed smile. And he's only four! I'm beginning to feel a little old. He will be five soon though, and I'm sure that will make all the difference in how I feel, right?

In the meantime we are woefully unprepared for the process of losing baby teeth and all the toothfairy legends that it involves. He seems to know all about it, but I want to find some cute tooth pillow type vehicle for him to transform that teeny tooth into cold hard cash (but not too much of it). So I turned to my favorite online shop: etsy. Love that place! A quick search revealed 50+ pages of listings, but here are a few of my favorites. What do you think? Remember that I will use this for all three of my boys and zero girls. I like the ones that we can hang on the doorknob because my kids are light sleepers and there's no possibility of the toothfairy sneaking in successfully.

Who Wants a Visit From the Laundry Fairy?

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Last month I received a sample of All Small & Mighty 96 Loads laundry detergent, thanks to Mom Select. I also received a fabulous bag/laptop tote from Hayden Harnett which I love very much. I took it on vacation with me, packed with all the magazine issues I needed to catch up on. Needless to say, it was much heavier than a laptop.

I've been using the laundry detergent and loving that with every load, I feel my wallet lightened a tiny bit. All Free Clear has long been my favorite detergent. I used it in place of Dreft for my 2nd baby, and have continued with it ever since. It cleans beautifully without any perfumes or dyes. My free sample was the Stainlifter variety, and it seems to work well too. I go through a lot of Shout stain spray with three little boys, and inevitably still end up with some set-in stains. Take this for what you will - since I've been using All Stainlifter I haven't seen any stains not come out. I don't know if it's the detergent for sure, but I like the results. If you have a sensitive nose though, the Stainlifter formula might not be for you. Being used to a fragrance free, it's been an adjustment for me and I plan to go back to the All Free Clear.

While I can't offer any help on physically washing your clothes, I can help you save a little money in the process. I have 2 coupons for a free bottle of All Small and Mighty 3x Concentrate (4 varieties). To be eligible, please leave a comment by Friday detailing how many loads of laundry you do per week. I've been discussing this with friends lately. I do 5-7, but some people with the same size family as mine purport to running 10-12 loads. We should all keep track for a month. These are important things to know! I'll randomly choose 2 commenters and drop the coupons in the mail.

A Trip To Remember

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Despite my best intentions, I didn't run the Lavender 5K. After a two week vacation, we were ready to head home and decided to leave a day early. Although I missed the race, I was so grateful to have an entire non-Sabbath day to put my home and family back in order. Don't worry, I will find a local 5K to run in the fall.

Thanks again to Jane, of Seagull Fountain, for lodging my family for sooooo looong. Our friendship seems to have survived, but I guarantee she believes me now when I talk about how hard my middle son is. Here are a few highlights:

At left: my handsome husband and three equally handsome sons bowling at the Wilkinson Center at BYU. This is a tradition for us, and I know Roley can't wait to join in on the fun. Next trip.

Below: Aaron & I, and Jane & Dick in front of the Salt Lake City temple. We got 2 babysitters and drove up, planning to attend the temple and do lunch. Our plans were sadly changed once we arrived and found the temple closed. That's the 3rd trip to UT that I've tried to go to the SL temple and failed. Next trip.

Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum: me & my three blond boys, and Sally & Spot.
Thanksgiving Point Farm: my favorite guys riding a plastic cow - they also rode horses and petted a lot of goats, and other fabulous farm animals.

My New Look

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:40:00 +0000

This is what tired looks like. This is what's left on the living room floor after spending an evening with my friend, Jane, who is graciously hosting my entire family for two weeks. Yes, two weeks. She's a generous soul, my friend.

I'm rethinking the whole proposition now, since Jane took me out walking last night. It's true that we only walked. And it's true that our pace was very moderate. But it's also true that the most exercise I've had for the past 6 months is looking at the elliptical machine my sister-in-law is storing at my house. So I am tired. And sore. Not only from the walk, but from carrying my baby up and down hundreds of flights of stairs at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House yesterday.

I soaked my legs in a hot bath for as long as I could last night, but didn't make it very long as I was in danger of falling asleep and drowning. Did I mention we walked for and hour and a half! I was shocked. And I am insisting that our route was three miles, but Jane says it's not. We will measure it today and I hope I'm right. We're planning to do this every night (mostly) in preparation for a 5K run/walk on my final day here in Utah. The Lavender Festival is supposed to be very pretty and fun for the whole family. I don't know how much fun that 5K will be for me, but at least I'll be able to cross #21 off my list. And let's hope that all this exercise contributes to a new look for my body.

They're cute and don't poop

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Do you have pets? Do your kids want them? My family is currently without a dog, and until recently our only pet was a beta fish named Sharkbait HooHaaHaa. But now we are happily infested with furry little rodents, thanks to Mom Select.

These new toy hamsters, touted as just like the real thing, but mess-free, are sure to be the "it" gift for the holidays this year. From the ad copy: Go Go Pets are fun, interactive hamsters that talk, move and even navigate their way around their own habitat. There are dozens of add-on sets so your child can create a custom world for their new friend. We're sure you'll be as amazed as we were at the sheer cuteness of GoGo Pets! Watch this adorable video to see for yourself.

Go Go Pets will be released nationwide in the fall, but are offered in the Phoenix market only right now (you can buy at Walmart or Toys R Us). As a marketing promotion, party kits were offered to local mom bloggers. We received a huge box full of Go Go Pets on our doorstep one Saturday morning. And since my boys had been watching the video twelve times a day they could barely contain the joy. We opened the box to find 11 hamsters and one box of each habitrail set they make. Very generous! The individual boxes stayed closed until a few days before the party, but we let the boys pick a color and pet them through the hole in the box. It was love at first sight between my Emmett and his NumNums.

We planned the party, sent out invitations, and talked non-stop about how much fun it would be. And no one was disappointed! We put the habitrails together the day before without any trouble and let the boys play with everything for a bit so they could show their friends. Initially, I wasn't impressed with the quality of the sets - the plastic seemed a little flimsy and didn't stay together as well as I expected while we were playing with it. But, as I watched, I could see how hard the kids were on everything. It's all on the ground and things got stepped on and kicked a lot. And that flexible plastic allowed for bending in the pieces. Even if things came apart, nothing ever broke. And a more rigid plastic certainly would have cracked and broken under kid-pressure. So even though it was sometimes annoying to have to reconnect the habitrail tunnels, it's preferable to kids crying over a broken toy. Teach them to put it back together themselves!

Another worry for me was that the entire set, once put together, is only about 4 foot square, which doesn't fit 11 kids around it. Four or five or six fit well, but the party worked out perfectly because plenty of people were late or left early, and we had food and other breaks. I was surprised at how well the kids took turns. And of course, the kids could put their hamsters down anywhere and just watch them run around alone. The games suggested in the party pack would not have worked for our young crowd (no way do ten 3-year-olds wait while one hamster at a time races through the tunnels). But we improvised and had a whole dance segment during the party. The kids just held their hamsters while we did the hokey pokey, chicken dance, bunny hop, and wild hamster dancing.

My pictures turned out horribly (I hate my camera) but you can see how much fun the kids had. I know of at least two parents who have purchased more Go Go Pets hamsters or habitrails. The hamsters are only about $8 and so cute and fun, even if you don't have accesories. They make over 40 sounds, which will endear them to your child, but the volume is low, which will endear them to you. Keep these in mind for birthday and Christmas presents.

HandMade House

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:39:00 +0000

My husband and I recently visited a local contemporary art museum and picked up a free art magazine. It was typically full of ads, but there were a few interesting features, including one about The HandMade House at the Ramble.

This home features work from 116 artists, and pretty much everything was designed and made custom for this project - from the door fittings, rugs and chandeliers, to the furniture, sinks, and countertops. I love the living room above, but every room is amazing. Please visit the website to see lovely photos of each room and many of the handmade pieces. I've spent hours ogling the beautiful details and making plans for my own dream home someday.

I'm very fond of craftsman design and the prairie/arts & crafts/bungalow/mission style and much of that was incorporated into the HandMade House. This bathroom is beautiful and the last picture is my favorite. I have always wanted built in bookcases for a long hall somewhere, especially with an open feel on the other side, like the stair banisters here, or a row of tall windows for the dream house in my head.

Thanks for making my day

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:04:00 +0000

This YouTube video by Jon Schmidt was the bright spot in a day full of lows (so far). Things are bound to be better after naps.

Thanks to all those who passed it on.

My Boys Love Thomas

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Thanks to Mom Select, my family saw the show: Thomas the Train, Live on Stage. The closest performance was in Tucson, about 2 hours away, but we turned it into a fun overnight trip. So in addition to seeing the show, my boys also enjoyed staying in a cheap hotel and visiting the Air & Space Museum.

The seats were pretty good, and could have been better if I had read the fine print and mailed my vouchers in early for the best available seats instead of waiting until the day of the show. Here's my husband and sons at the show:

My husband live Tweeted during the show:

Reporting from Thomas & Friends Live On Stage: the anticipation for Thomas
& James is unbelievable!
6:53 PM Mar 17th from web

Reporting from T&F LoS: Heeeeeere's Thomas! (Mass hysteria & bedlam ensue from 3000 4 year olds)
7:02 PM Mar 17th from web

Reporting from T&F LoS: Sir Topham Hatt, Master of Ceremony (turn off phones & no flash photos). *Can we hire this guy out? What authority!
7:11 PM Mar 17th from web

Reporting from T&F: Oh no! Confusion & Delay in Sodor!
7:16 PM Mar 17th from web

Reporting from T&F: Cinders & Ashes we need to hurry if we are going to save the circus!
7:20 PM Mar 17th from web

Reporting from T&F: Henry, James, & Percy join Thomas to prove themselves "Really Useful Engines." Toot Toot!
7:37 PM Mar 17th from web

If that doesn't say it all, I don't know what does. We really enjoyed it. Thanks, Mom Select!
(Yes, that says Mar 17th. I'm a little behind on the reporting.)

Top Three Idol Fashions

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:21:00 +0000

I sat down to write my weekly post about what the American Idol contestants were wearing tonight, but I'm giving up. I already skipped the post last week. I can't write about fashion when the top four are dressed up for rock week. I barely wanted to come back and watch again this week.

I was ready to start again, and am writing this on my laptop while I watch - but I can't do it. All the girls in pretty outfits are gone and we're left with three guys. And they wear mostly grey and black and I'm tired of it. I'm not saying they should wear something different, but I don't want to analyze it.

Sorry.

I'm saving myself for Project Runway.

If I had a girl...

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:44:00 +0000

... I'd choose this bedding for her room. I love the colors, the birds, and all the fun coordinating patterns. It's made from organic cotton and only $45 for an entire set! Walmart really delivers sometimes.

There is a similar set for boys, which is also adorable, but does not contain enough super heroes or the color orange for my guys.

Pancakes, Mmmmm

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:22:00 +0000

Pancakes are my favorite food, followed closely by waffles. I do use a mix sometimes, but I will not use any mix that calls for water as the only addition. I like the Bisquick; I grew up on it. Every Sunday morning, or afternoon (depending on church times) my dad would make pancakes. And a couple years ago my friend, Jane, shared her make-a-mix recipe, which uses half wheat flour & is extra delicious. I now keep that mix on hand & am planning to make it in bulk and can it soon.

This morning I tried Pioneer Woman's pancake recipe, freshly posted this week. And it made the most beautiful pancakes I've ever seen! Perfectly fluffy and golden brown. They smelled great, thanks to the 3 teaspoons of vanilla. But they tasted kind of... blah. I hate to say it. Syrup helped. But the 3 tablespoons of baking powder made the taste way too strong for me. My four year old wouldn't even eat them, saying they tasted funny. I need a different leavening agent.

My favorite, tried and true recipe is Martha Stewart's Best Buttermilk Pancakes. It only has 2 tsp. of baking powder and 1 tsp. of baking soda to react with the buttermilk and give you fluffy pancakes. They are moist and a little spongy, but in a delicate way and are great with add-ins like blueberries or chocolate chips. (Photo and recipe from Martha Stewart's website.)

Best Buttermilk Pancakes
Makes nine 6-inch pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

Directions:
1. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
2. Heat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
3. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.

I'm also a huge fan of this recipe for Banana Sour Cream Pancakes, which I found years ago in a Redbook magazine. I only make them occasionally, because they're a little more work, but so worth it. The recipe in the magazine is listed as coming from Bette's Ocean View Diner - visit their website to buy mixes and view other recipes. (Recipe and photo from January 2004 Redbook)

Banana & Sour Cream Pancakes

Combine:

2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

In a separate bowl, beat together:
2 large eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 & 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. melted butter

Add wet to dry ingredients and stir in:

1 ripe banana, mashed
1 ripe banana, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Cook on a lightly oiled skillet over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Top with sour cream, sliced bananas, chopped walnuts, and syrup.

If you love pancakes I know you will enjoy these recipes. For more mouth watering recipes visit Randi's Recipe Box Swap. Randi posted about pancakes this month too, and included a delicious looking berry syrup.

How To Have Style

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:47:00 +0000

While browsing at my local library several months ago, I came across a book called How to Have Style by Isaac Mizrahi. And I've perpetually had it checked out since then. I'm seriously monopolizing it and should probably just buy a copy, but the library has more than one. To buy your own copy at a great price, click on the image below.

The biggest thing I learned from this book is that I need to be chosen as the subject of a book or television show about makeovers. Because having a group of professionals on your side makes a world of difference. The style team for this book includes a fashion stylist, hairstylist, makeup artist, and Isaac Mizrahi himself. I guarantee they could make me look fabulous. And I suppose the point of a book like this is to glean some of the expertise they use on the subjects in the book and apply it to yourself. Not as satisfying, but financially a much more viable option.

How to Have Style starts with some basic information and concepts in the introduction, then jumps to chapters featuring one lucky woman each. Isaac and the team polish up each woman, making changes where needed, but keeping all the good too. That's one plus of this book compared to tv makeover shows - Isaac really goes with what the women like/want and what will suit their personality and lifestyle. He doesn't throw everything out and start over. He doesn't do an entire makeover, changing these women into something they are not. He works with them.

This book includes twelve women, of varying ages, vocations, body shapes, and style parameters. I love this! You will find someone who matches you, and will find tips in many other chapters that work for you too. We learn How To Have Style...

... on a Budget
... When You're Petite
... When Traveling on Business
... and Reinvent Yourself
... and Wear Denim
... When You're Not a Size 12
... and Wear Colors
... by Spending More on Less
... and Be Funny and Sexy
... in the Evening
... by Growing Up
... and Wake Up from a Jeans Coma

Finding your style starts with an inspiration board. Isaac suggests creating your own from a basic cork board, compiling any images or items that speak to you. And we find each woman's inspiration board at the beginning of her chapter, and then discover how the team turn that into a personal style.

I loved the information sections at the back of the book too. My favorite was What You Need - listing key items in shoes, bags, jewelry, and bras. Visit Isaac Mizrahi's website to learn more about the How To Have Style concept. There is even an online community - make your own inspiration board and view others' boards and profiles.

Does this make me look like a good photographer?

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:13:00 +0000

I read about a free downloadable program many months ago on several different blogs. I starred in my reader and finally found it again the other day. Check out Poladroid for making any image look like an old Polaroid shot. And the interface is the cutest! If I was really ambitious I would take a video to show you the process, but I'm not. Take my word for it.

Here are a few shots I transformed:

You can change settings to make it more look older or more rustic and you can capture the image at any point in the "development" stage.

They even have a Flickr group.

Top Five Idol Fashions

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:48:00 +0000

Please read Boo Mama for more American Idol recaps, and BigMama for fabulous Fashion Friday posts. Thank you Dayton Daily News for keeping me in photos, except for missing a shot of Kris this week! Sorry.

Kris Allen - He looks a little uncomfortable in that suit; it's not really his style. But he looks great! The stylist did a great job picking something current, and it fits him very well. The cut is much more fashion than classic, with slim pants and a tapered waist on the jacket. It's perfect for Rat Pack night. I wonder how he would look with a different hair style - I'm thinking all slicked back. (Sorry again about the no photo - I'll keep looking.)

Allison Iraheta - She looks so beautiful! It's nice to see her in something more pretty and less rocker. She does keep it a little tough with a fitted black satin bustier. The skirt is frilly, poofy, and has a gorgeous black & white pattern. I love her hair. The makeup is a bit heavy, but probably appropriate for her look. The platform black shoes are hot! The whole thing is a nice change for Allison, but I imagine she'll be back to her rocker chick next week.
Note: Thanks to Jamie Foxx for saying she's too young to be in love and to think about her family watching over her. Kudos, Jamie.

Matt Giraud - I'm so glad he is sticking to the fedora. And of course it's perfect for Rat Pack week. His suit is kind of modern, a little too much in my opinion. I think it's the blue shirt; I'm not loving it. The fit is nice, but he just seems a little too buttoned-up and uncomfortable. It's very different from his normal look, hat notwithstanding.

Danny Gokey - He looks like he's ready to get married, rather than entertain. The suit looks great, but not right for the Rat Pack. I think my biggest problem is the fit of his collar. It's so loose it fits like a polo or something. And his glasses are wrong too, as much as I love them. In short: he looks great, but not for the theme. And that would be fine, if this were his normal look, but it's not. If you're gonna dress for the night, you have to get it right. (Loved his song though.)
Dude, just noticed from the picture that he was wearing a vest. Nice try, but it's too low. You couldn't even see it in most of the shots.

Adam Lambert - only Adam can get away with a white suit, especially one as shiny as this. It fits him great though, and if you're gonna wear a white, shiny suit then you gotta go with the black shirt and white tie. There's nothing else to do.

It's Like Spring for Your Hair

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:14:00 +0000

Need to add some spice and color to your look? Try this headband pattern from Larissa at mmmcrafts. I just found her blog today through How About Orange (thanks for all the awesome links, Jessica!) and spent an hour looking through the great posts. There are bunches of tutorials, patterns, and downloads - FOR FREE.

I'm going to make a couple of these headbands from fabric scraps I have lying around. It will be like a spring makeover for my hair!

Top Seven Idol Fasions (Take 2)

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Remember, for other American Idol recaps check out Boo Mama. And Big Mama always puts together a lovely Fashion Friday post. As always, Dayton Daily News is da bomb with the photos.

Lil Rounds - Lil is wearing a black one-piece jumpsuit. I am going to refrain from saying anything about her booty. Her hair and makeup is great and from the waist up she looks amazing! Her decolletage is very nice, and she has a very slim middle. The bottom half is okay, the bell bottoms & black shoes make for a clean line. Still trying not to talk about her booty - it's the elephant in the room. Literally.

Kris Allen - Kris rocks the classic white tee look. The grey chinos are casual, but have a very different feeling than jeans. I think he's wearing white tennis shoes or something. This look is simple & great for Kris, but certainly not very interesting for disco night. He seems a little scared to take wardrobe risks, but I guess he leaves that for the music.

Danny Gokey - I'm glad to see him wearing his glasses again, and sporting the facial hair. And wearing jeans. Some things just work and you should stick with them. The black jacket is super cool, although I wish I could see the details a little better; ie wear a different colored shirt underneath. Danny continues to be on the mark fashion-wise.

Allison Iraheta - Wow. She is wearing skin tight pleather with a shiny apron type thing on the front. It's weird, but suprisingly flattering for her figures. I love the shoes and the jacket, but am a bit skeptical of the middle parts. She is amazing to dance around on those 5 inch heels. I am glad that she stays true to her fashion look every week, even when she gets negative feedback. (I'm sure she totally reads my blog & I hope I'm not too negative.)

Adam Lambert - Oh, he looks great. I'm glad he went with a little more formal look; the hair takes us back on it's own. He looks great in a suit, even a shiny one that I'm sure was very expensive. He keeps those Adam touches though, like the earrings. And did you see that ring? I am glad that he wore a white shirt and properly fastened tie, you don't see that much on Idol.

Matt Giraud - The fedora is back! Love this look on Matt. It's perfect for disco night, but is what he always looks good in. That jacket is great: an interesting color, soft leather, and a good cut. And I think the jeans and sneaks keep it just casual and cool enough. I'm gonna miss his fashion looks (love him but he's just not as good as others).

Anoop Desai - He looks so good with facial hair! He suddenly looks so cool thanks to that & the hairstyle. I kind of like Anoop's look the best week to week, although it's not my favorite look tonight. But the preppy Kanye West thing looks really good on him. I like the suit, and I'm glad he keeps the pink going. The tie & sweater are great, and he keeps it casual with the shoes & the untucked look.

I've been finding some other great spots online that feature American Idol fashions. I think I'll add one every week. Check out the official Idol site. The weekly fashion spot is written by the actual stylist, Miles Siggins. There is a blurb on each contestant for each week, though they do run a couple weeks behind.

Tiling the easy way

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:42:00 +0000

I've been slowly fixing up the boys' bathroom - I painted, repaired a hole, and then finally got around to changing the flooring. We had linoleum, which I hear is making a comeback. I love linoleum - it's durable, environmentally friendly, one-piece (no water seeping into cracks, great for bathrooms), and comes in tons of looks and patterns. Check out this article about linoleum on This Old House. Unfortunately, real linoleum is quite expensive and most dealers and big box stores just stock vinyl, which often gets called linoleum too (even though it's not).

My family is not sure how long we will be in our house, but it could be several year still. We wanted different flooring in the bathroom, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. In the end, I opted for vinyl tiles. They are cheap (around $1/sq ft), easy to install (self adhesive), and durable enough for us. They also come in lots of patterns, many mimicking the popular ceramic and slate tiles.

I chose to install the vinyl tiles right over my linoleum for a couple reasons: if water seeps between the tiles, the linoleum underneath is seamless and the water won't get to the foundation, but mostly because I was too lazy to rip out the old flooring and scrape glue off the concrete underneath.

When laying vinyl tiles over existing flooring, you have the choice to butt them up against the baseboards, or remove the baseboards and replace them again afterwards. I wanted new baseboards too, and since the cost was minimal in a small bathroom I ripped mine out. I did it during nap time one day on a whim. It took about 5 minutes. Unfortunately I didn't get around to installing the tile and new baseboards for about a month, but baby steps, right?

Here are the steps for removing baseboards:

1. Cut through the caulk between the baseboard and the wall. If you don't do this you can peel the paint right off the wall, or even the paper off the drywall. You can do the whole wall at once or work in 2-3 foot sections.

2. Use a tool to pry the baseboards from the wall. I use a special, angled screwdriver with a claw tip, but a regular one will do in a pinch. I use a hammer to wedge it in, then push out the moulding. You just have to be careful not to damage your wall. That's why I like the angle of this tool, because I have more room for leverage. Some people want to save the baseboards to re-install, but I was tossing mine, so I didn't worry about them cracking, splintering, or breaking. Demolition is very satisfying.

3. Vacuum up all the detritus that ends up underneath your walls. Are you sad that I'm covering up this gorgeous linoleum?

On to installing the new tile:

The first step is to make sure the floor is clean and dry, no matter what you are laying the tile over. The vinyl tiles have adhesive backs, so you just stick them down, but if there's dirt or dust they won't stay down well.

It is important to map out how you will lay the tile before you start. It's nice to start with one tile in a corner, to make for less cutting, but that's not always the best idea. You need to make sure your last row of tiles isn't less than 4 inches or something (whatever the directions say). Here's an example. This is my bathroom, roughly. I actually laid these tiles out, without attaching them. The figure on the left shows that the last tile will need to be cut a little. The figure on the right shows that the last tile will be a little short. And rather than have a small tile, it is better to cut the tiles on both ends of the row.

Do you have this?

You need to do the same for the width and length of the room. If your walls are not square you can end up with rows of tile that don't align with the walls. This is a bigger issue when you are tiling a larger room. With vinyl tiles that just match up to each other in the seams you can start in the middle of the room if you want. You don't have that luxury with tongue and groove flooring like laminate.

I started in the middle row, but next to my tub. I wanted a full tile next to the tub, where we stand a lot - even if that meant a slightly shorter tile on the opposite side (but still more than 6 inches). Basically I have the figure on the left and just cut down the last row of tiles a little. I laid the row next to the wall slightly past the linoleum underneath, so that they would extend about 1/2 inch underneath the new baseboards. This did make for a short row next to the wall behind the toilet - but no one walks back there so I didn't mind.

Now you just peel and stick. You have to peel the paper backing off slowly, so it doesn't rip. The adhesive is pretty good, but not like glue where you couldn't peel a tile up and reposition it. Place the tiles as close to each other as possible, keeping the seams exactly square at the corners. Once you put a tile down, secure it all over by applying pressure. Here's a shot of my first few tiles.

And now comes the cutting:

It's pretty satisfying to lay down whole tiles and you cover the area very quickly. And you can do all the whole tiles first if you want. But at some point you will get to the edges and need to cut a tile to fit. Vinyl tiles can be cute with heavy scissors, a utility knife, etc. The scissors worked the best for me. But even with a small bathroom my hands were sore and almost blistered the next day from the cutting - it's hard work! Straight line cuts are pretty easy. I used a measuring tape, a dry erase marker, and a straight edge. You can just measure the area you need to fill, mark it on the tile, and cut.

The official method of cutting tiles (of any material) is as follows:

* Lay a loose tile directly over the last tile in the row
* Lay another loose tile flat against the wall/bathtub/flat edge, overlapping the first loose tile
* Draw/cut along the line where the two loose tiles meet

* See the cutaway diagram below

The hardest part of laying tile comes when you need to cut for irregular objects. For bathrooms the round toilet base can be tricky. Vinyl tiles have an advantage over other tiles because you can do a curved cut. I will tell you how I fit these tiles, but I'm sure there are better ways. I was glad my tiles were only $1 each because I did start over a couple times.

I cut the tile down to roughly the correct size if necessary, then cut out the curved shape I needed. I totally free handed it, drawing the shape as shown, and then cutting in down again and again until it fit well. This is why my cutting hand was sore. Does anyone know a better way than this? It was labor intensive, but it worked for me since there were only a few tiles to cut this way.

When you finish all the tile, you can choose to caulk the edge in some spots. I caulked along the tub and around the base of the toilet. i just bought white bathroom caulk and followed the instructions roughly, although I use my fingers to smooth.

Here's a shot of the finished product. The new baseboard against the right wall was just laid in place to see how it would look. Watch for my upcoming post on installing baseboards! It's already half-way written.

Please check out my other Do It Herself projects. I'm very proud of them!

I submitted this post to DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land.

Top Seven Idol Fashions

thewellroundedwoman@gmail.com (tarable) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Allison Iraheta - This outfit is not very flattering for her. She's a teensy bit heavier and all that extra fabric around her hips doesn't look good. Especially not over red leggings. Bare legs would have been better with such a voluminous middle. The belt and above looks good though. Allison looks good in black, but I'm always glad she has some color in there too. I don't even want to discuss the gloves. She's not ready for those yet.

Anoop Desai - I love Anoop in a tie! Still not sure about his jacket, with the white arms and stripes, but the jeans, button-up, and tie look great. He somehow looks cooler than usual tonight too, maybe because I loved his song. His hair seems a little more messed & casual.

Adam Lambert - Here's my rock star back. Love the jeans & jacket. The tee is okay. Plain white would have been more classic. The only place he misses the rock star image, and seems more in line with a drama performer, is in his physique. I'm no one to talk here, but he seems a little soft in the middle and most singers from this genre are ultra skinny. We'll see what happens in a few years once the money and fame has kicked in and he's turned to drugs. That always seem to take the weight off. (Please don't let that happen to Adam!)

Matt Giraud - I miss the hat a little, but I guess he is showing off his new 'do. I like the facial hair a lot. The haircut goes well with this classic ensemble. White shirt, black tie & vest looks good but doesn't distract from the performance at all. Not so exciting to write about, but sometimes that's better.

Danny Gokey - He looks different tonight, not the same old thing. I like the casual, holey jeans. But I'm not sure about the Miami Vice blazer with pushed up sleeves. Maybe. Danny's got a new haircut this week too, or something, and I like it. That and the facial hair make up for the missing glasses. I'm so glad for something new, rather than a black blazer. What's up with those white shoes, though?

Kris Allen - He looks good, but a little bit like he's trying too hard or something. I think it's the upturned collar on the jacket. Doesn't seem like him. The rest is good though - jeans and a basic tee go so well on Kris.

Lil Rounds - Why does she have different hair every week? That's strange to me. I love her earrings. She looks chic in some close-fitting clothes. The black looks good & I love the pattern on just the shoulders. The shoes are cool, and it's nice to see a little skin down there, although I think a skirt would have been a good choice for her - to show off her legs.