Mommy*s Missing Pieces...

T for Tuesday....

2012-01-31T23:11:00.001-06:00

Mom was here for a week or so last week. She was at the tail end of her trip to my sister's house. We both got our hair cut. This was mom's second haircut since her hair started growing back! It's very exciting. And for the record, I used that wrinkle edit on this photo. It's fabulous. I might be addicted. A little black and white, and little softening and some wrinkle editing, and 'voila! We are sisters instead of mom and daughter! Woo Hoo!

We took a trip to Northwestern to meet with Mom's hottie doctor. (Well, mom and I think he's hot but my sister questions our judgement!) Evan got to make the trip with us and before we got called in to see the doctor we had what my mom referred to as a "bagel picnic" in the waiting room. Evan was more than delighted! He was a very nice boy. He can be nice when he wants to be. We are happy with "no change is good news" in mom's condition. We continue to be optimistic for the future and joyful that our journey has been textbook. Sure, looking back it had it's moments, but overall we had it easy. But then again, I wasn't the one going through it! I was the care giver after all! We all have our breaking points.

And now forgive me for the multitude of "fake Beatle" photos from the Brit Beat concert we went to for her birthday. My BFF Brendan schooled me in the way of all things Beatles, John, Paul, Ringo and George. It was only right and good that he came with us.

This group is called BritBeat and we were very impressed.

Paul is our fave.

George had a thing for me. No lie. We were front row.

Does anybody really like Yellow Submarine? Um, no.

Maybe if we smoked a big fattie beforehand!

And then it rounded out with Let it Be.

All the guys were extremely talented musicians and had all the mannerisms down.

OMG! Are you so YAWN right now? I know, I know! But what else am I gonna do with all those iPhone photos? I created a Mommy*s Missing Pieces page on Facebook today. Go over there and "like" me! There is a method to my madness and when I write the book I'll give you all the credit. I'm so overdue for bed and I just finished watching the season finale of Tori and Dean and crying my eyes out. I cannot watch a baby being born without crying. For one second I wanted a baby. Then I slapped myself across my own face and snapped out of it. As Bethanny would say, "Holy shit balls!"

And on a final note, I watched the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion Show (Part 1 because there has to be like 3...why?) My take away is what I've always said. They just don't like each other. Fakey McFakerson. Bicker Bicker Bicker. And why do they now have to send all the ladies from each of the franchises on a big fancy trip? Just to stir the pot? They can't manufacture enough drama and cattiness while in the states? I love to hate on these shows. But I've eliminated RH of Atlanta this season. So if each season I ditch one, soon I will be pure again.

B & W Monday....

2012-01-30T22:13:00.001-06:00

We spent the weekend at my mom's house. My mom was very sick with a bad cold and not feeling like getting her picture taken. Lauren was using my scarf as a veil and "playing" with my mom's pearl crown from her wedding. (My sister wore this eight years ago when she got married with a new veil attached. It was perfect.) How could I not take photos?! Luckily, I did a little photo editing and used a "wrinkle eraser" on my mom's face. Now if it was only that easy in real life! She was very tired and felt like she looked "a hundred years old." Well, now didn't that do the trick? I always say B&W makes everything look better!

Will you accept this rose?

Lauren wearing my mom's wedding dress.

My mom and dad were married on May 6, 1967.

I will blink and I'll be crying my eyes out when she steps out of the dressing room to show me the dresses she likes. Lord, please make the days go slower. I'm not ready quite yet. We have many journeys left to take together before I am ready to let her go.

My mom has preserved her dress wonderfully. All it took was a cedar chest and some blue plastic. Some day she's gonna go all "Pretty in Pink" on this dress, and mine and my sister's. My mom already said that she's got that "this is vintage/old/used/has a memory therefore it's special" gene. Yep! It's my mission in life!

Just a moment.

Friends Forever.

Sissy and Buddy.

Look at how old Lauren looks in this photo! Precious.

Lace detail. Simply gorgeous.

Lauren Love.

Vintage Love Forever.

Creme Brulee.....

2012-01-26T22:13:00.000-06:00

It is a rare day in this house when this big daddy comes out! The hubs literally looked at me and the Kitchen Aid and said, "Whoa! What is happening here???!!!" I did for my mom's 67th birthday and her favorite dessert: creme brulee baby!

The cast of characters. Really quite simple! I like a dessert recipe with very few ingredients!

Pour 4 cups of heavy creme into a measuring cup.

I took all these photos on my iPhone! I'm delighted! I don't even have the latest and greatest version of the phone. Also, please note that I am using The Pioneer Woman's recipe. You can go here and check it out and compare and contrast our photos. But I find this fun and I'm practicing with the whole photo documentation.

I got this little bad-ass torch for my birthday last year from my BFF. She likes to get me kitchen gadgets and they make me happy. She had visions of me making creme brulee and torching away in the kitchen and I needed to fulfill that dream for both of us!

Next, pour 1 table spoon of vanilla extract into those 4 cups of heavy cream. You can use a vanilla bean or vanilla paste, but this is what I already had and that keeps this whole process simple.

Next, pour the vanilla laced heavy cream into a saucepan on the stove and simmer over medium heat.

Here is a lovely little close up of that.

While that is simmering, very slow and low, that is the tempo, we need to separate 10 egg yolks from the white. It is fun and you can pretend you are Julia Child and get all fancy with your separation. Then you can make an egg white omelet and pretend you are really healthy. I just saved mine in the fridge for a day or two and THEN pretended I was cool. All the while forgetting I just made a gazillion creme brulee pots for me and my family!

Now this photo got blurry, but you get the idea. Into the mixing bowl go 10 egg yolks!

Now we need 3/4 of a cup of sugar to add to the egg yolks. See how easy this is?

This photo is less blurry and it makes me happy. Weird things make me happy.

Now blend the sugar and egg yolks together until pale yellow and thick. This description is straight from Ree Drumond, Pioneer Woman extraordinaire, because what actually does that mean?

Remember that heavy creme and vanilla mixture simmering on the stove? We need to take a small amount and add it very slowly to the mixture. Call me crazy, but I think this is called tempering the eggs. Yeah, BOO-YAHHHH. And I don't even bake!

Look at that action shot! All from my iPhone! Wooo Hooo!

This is what the mixture looked like when I completed mixing. Nice and foamy.

But apparently we are supposed to remove this foam. I did my best, but I didn't get overly concerned.

And now I would like to introduce to you my creme brulee dishes. Aren't they so simple and perfect? I purchased these a few years ago after I received that torch. See how the dream is all coming together??!!!

I feel like Martha would appreciate and understand the simple beauty of a creme brulee dish! Can you feel me Martha? Do you hear me?

Now we fill the ramekins.

Put the ramekins on a baking sheet first. (wait for it! we are going to put water in there!)

So pretty! And then we are going to EAT them!

Once you have all the ramekins filled, fill the baking sheet with water about half way up the ramekin.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until "set" (what does that mean?) I like a little brown! And see how I ran out of my perfect ramekins and had to resort to random dishes? Next time I wouldn't have to make the full recipe. Half would have worked, Yet, no one complained!

Oh my! Mine were brown....GASP! The horror! Apparently this is what you shouldn't do. Again, nobody complained!

YUM! And the sugar is not even baked on yet! Remember, we have a torch to use people!

Sprinkle some super fine sugar on the top of the brulee.

Super fine sugar works best in this situation. Or so I've been told.

I followed directions. I never do that.

Sprinkle.....Sprinkle....

At this point I turned the camera over to the hubs. I am good but I'm not a magician!

Almost torch time!

I'm running out of things to say but you know if I've make a comment under every photo then I need to keep doing that throughout the whole post!!!

Okay here we go with the torch! So exciting!

You simply go back and forth over the top to crystallize the sugar on the surface.

Insert moody torch photo here for drama.

It's addicting that use of a flaming torch in the kitchen!

I liked the tiny bit of brown bits.

Lauren was of course obsessed and had to try it out. We are all "safety first" up in here so Dad helped.

How many more photos of this can I show you?

Get ready to clink your spoon on the surface and then dig in!

Lauren added blackberries and blueberries. The fresh fruit really adds a special touch. If you have hauled out that 50 pound mixer and are making creme brulee for your mom's birthday, go the extra mile and buy some fresh berries. And the bottom line here is, if I can do this, you can too! It was actually quite simple and there was no need to be intimidated.

Dear Mom,

2012-01-23T22:20:00.001-06:00

Last week you turned 67. Last year you got a stem cell transplant. We came to visit you at the hospital. It seems like a million year years ago. It seems like yesterday.

You wore Kerstin's scarf in the hospital. The kids thought the sky scrapers were cool.

I just thought you were cool.

Everybody thought Evan looked adorable. I said we were dressed for the Hampton's.

I am not sure a daughter could be more proud or love a mother more.

You came to the beach after you got home. We were all happy.

I turned 40 in August. You were bald and ballsy and beautiful.

You got through the worst of it.

You were brave before the stem cell transplant process even began. You got your hair cut really short before the chemo took it all.

I was happy to have you join the short hair club.

It could have kicked your ass, brought you down to the point of no return.

But it didn't. You got through it. You made it. You did it.

You survived. You are a fighter.

You are my mom.

You rock.

I love you.

All my Love Forever,

Tricia

xoxoxxoox

More Wednesday Randomness....

2012-01-18T12:22:00.001-06:00

Had to share! (Even though the Pack blew it in the end and we will NOT be going to the Super Bowl this year!) Had I known my Mom had these in her possession I would have taken them years ago! These are classic vintage (ADORE) Packer cushions that were my Grandfather's! (His name was Evan and hence Evan Reed Thomas is named after him) The dates on the left side begin at 1929 and end at 1962! They are in perfect condition. I am so giddy about these there are no words. I am just going to keep using exclamation points!!!! I'm pretty sure my cousin Megan and Jordan (my Dad's sister's kids) are unaware of these and will promptly stalk me/demand them!

Take your photo from this....

to this!

Another new obession: Instagram on my iPhone. I'm sure you all have smart phones and are now saying, "Like, whatever! We've sooooo had that like for years!" (Channeling a valley girl) Well, I just got my smart phone and love this application that turns ordinary photos into vintage looking ones! This "heart" was just a twisted piece of pink plastic I found on the road. Remember to spread some Love today!

This is the bridge on the way to the library. I could photograph it a million times.

The various ways you can change the look of your photo on instagram is the best. I love this one.

And below please find my follow up notes to Rachael Ray's crockpot recipe for Thai Style Chicken:

Super easy! Just dump the liquid ingredients in and chop up all the veggies and throw them in too! A little green and red pepper....a lot of grated ginger...some coconut milk and brown sugar. The hubs would have liked this to be sweeter, so maybe some more brown sugar or white sugar next time?!

Eggplant!

Sweet Potatoes!

Raw Chicken! Yum.

I know, kinda gross.

I mixed all the sauce around all the ingredients.

Some of the cast: fish sauce (I already had it in my fridge), chili paste with garlic and spicy soy sauce...

Have I ever told you about the asinine way I work when I'm cooking? I crowd into a little corner of my cutting board and it just doesn't make sense! So when I'm done chopping and dicing I have a tiny little square of space left! I am not sure why I do this, but I have a feeling that, given a huge workspace, I would still just need a corner. I use my bed pillow in the same manner! I sleep with my head on a tiny bit of the corner. I'm just weird like that.

Here is the best part: The garnishes! Lime juice, basil, cilantro and green onion. I added some salted peanuts for crunch too. Don't skip this part! It makes a crock pot meal seem so much more.

And as any good blogger does, you remember to take a photo of the finished product. But today all I can give you is this! I will say that it was better tasting today than last night. My rice had bugs in it (SICK) and so I jerry-rigged some couscous and it got all sticky but we made do.

This is the "finished product" in the crock pot. You end up with chicken and veggies in a lovely curry sauce. Doesn't look so great, but put some over a bowl of rice and use those fresh garnished and I guarantee you'll love it!

Tuesday Thoughts.....

2012-01-17T17:00:00.000-06:00

I keep forgetting to tell you that I made this fantastic appetizer recipe: Pepperidge Farm Puff Pasty Loaded Potato Chip Spirals. Super easy! Just remember to thaw your frozen puff pastry sheet ahead of time! I of course do not have a photo and the PFarms website won't let me share the one they have shown. So go check it out. When you buy the puff pastry you get two sheets. Go ahead and use both sheets! These are a crowd pleaser! I put a little side of ranch dressing on the plate because don't you just need a dip? Just in time for a Super Bowl party. A Super Bowl party in which my team, The Green Bay Packers will NOT be playing in! Seriously, how could we make it this far in the season loosing only one game and blow it now? This is why I normally do not follow or care about stupid things like football!!!!!!!

Can you believe you can find a recipe for "from scratch" puff pastry? OMG! Kill me now. I made Trader Joe's gingerbread and pumpkin spice muffins (from a box!!!) yesterday with the kids and had to restrain myself from just yelling "that's it kids.....get out! Get out of my kitchen now!" Good times with fun suck mom who doesn't want her kids baking creativity to shine! We planned to make cookies with the gingerbread but I read the instructions for bread and bunked the recipe therefore we couldn't do the cookies. (OH DARN!) Lauren said "Mom, why do you always jerry-rig it?" I laughed out loud and said "Because I'm not a baker and I fight it every step of the way!"

Please Note: Day #17 of January and I'm still in contention for Mom of the Year!

As the muffins and bread were baking my neighbor friend called to see if Lauren would like to go see Beauty and the Beast 3D with her kids. Um, YES! The day turned out to be win-win for both of us. She dropped her kids off afterwards and Evan napped and the girls came up from the basement just once for a snack. I took a 15 minute cat-nap on the couch and watched all my DVRed shows. Hallelujah for cool neighbors!

Now on to other random nonsense running through my head: Is it is just me or do you still get panicky when they ask to see your I.D. at the check-out? I'm 40 years old and I still have that two second panic attack and then realize I've been legal for so long it's a joke that they need to see it. And now-a-days it's not even about if they think you are legal or not, it's for the cash register/computer thing!!!!!!! But every time man, it still gets me! So now I think to myself........that's right. Go ahead and check that I.D. and be amazed that I'm 40 and look this young!!!!!!!!

I'm crock potting a Rachael Ray recipe (Thai-Style Crock Pot Curry with Chicken thighs) tonight for dinner and I'll report back on the (hopefully) deliciousness. I really need to crock it up more. It's just so easy and so is the clean-up. I'm usually not a fan of dark meat but as I get older I realize it has so much more flavor and the cost savings is significant. I got almost two pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs for under $5!

My mom's 66th birthday is tomorrow and I have a special little blog post planned (in my head!). I have a lovely birthday dinner planned for her on Thursday night (she flies back in on Thursday) and I plan to make Pioneer Woman's Creme Brulee. I bought those adorable little white oval ramekins years ago and I received a kitchen torch for a gift. I'm giddy to use them all!!! I'll take lots of photos!

Oh, and I received this Vinturi red wine aerator in the family Christmas gift exchange. A few of my wine club gals have them (even a travel wine aerator!) and I've been wanting one. It's fun to pretend you are a wine connoisseur and use a fancy aerator. My BFF and I did a blind taste test with red wine (one aerated and one not) and we were very impressed with the aerated one. I'm just gonna keep saying aerator. I am not sure how much this one cost (they are listed at $40 on the website) but I know it came from Costco. We had a $20 limit but I'm guessing this person went over! (and I benefited!)

And while I'm on such a randomness rant~I saw the Rachael Ray show today (never watch it) and Elizabeth Hasselbeck was on today pimping her gluten free cookbook. (have I ever mentioned that she's on my list of people I'd rather not see/hear/watch? Like, ever?) I have no problem with her cookbook but why do I find her so irritating? I swear she's in a competition with Kelly Ripa to see who can get the most ripped arms and always were sleeveless to show them off. She did every maneuver she could in her power to show off the pipes. (I think Kelly Ripa does this too) Whisking eggs whites (flex) check. Pointing to ingredients (flex) check. Talk about husband and yell "score!" while flexing (check). I'm just over it.

Then Jamie Pressly came on and I promptly fast forwarded. (you know the woman from "My Cousin Earl" and now she's on "I Hate my Teenage Daughter"?) I don't really know much about her and never watched any of her sitcoms. However, I've seen her randomly enough in magazines or talk shows to know that she is botoxed to high heaven. Maybe that's not all she's done, but she can't move anything on her face except her mouth. And she's 34 years old! I just googled it. Pathetic! (side note: I have no idea what the pressures are in her industry and I'm very glad I never will!)

Seriously, can all these women STOP? Do you think we don't notice? Get real and age gracefully. I'm not saying I wouldn't get a bunch of stuff done if I could, but the key is just a little! (Here's my wish list: small amount of botox, boob lift, some work on my saddle bags and thighs and that fat pocket removed on the inside of my knee, some laser facial thing to remove my sun damage on my face and all those fine lines) But I live in the real world with my real house and real husband and real kids. Thank goodness my parents or environment or family or genetics instilled in me a great deal self-esteem! When I have a good outfit on and my hair and makeup done I feel pretty good. I still got it goin' on! (hahaha!) And at the end of the day I know that all those procedures and injections wouldn't make a hill of beans difference. I'd still be ME. (okay, well maybe that boob lift or thigh reduction, but......Just sayin' !!!!!!!!!!!!)

Surprise Package....

2012-01-16T09:45:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday a little box arrived on our doorstep from my friend Nancy. (She writes Everything Except Cooking) She might not cook but she sure knits! I have been wanting Nancy to knit me something for a long time. There is just something about a friend making you a hand made wearable. Nancy kept saying "Just go to raverly and pick something!" Well Raverly is like a porn site for those who knit and all that happened when I went there was I lost track of time and tagged 5,000 things I would have liked her to knit me! So finally I happened across a photo of a cool chick wearing one of those slouchy hats and Nancy said they were easy to make and to pick out some yarn.

TA-DA!

In November Lauren and I sent our yarn selections with our friend Kelly (who just so happens to be Nancy's sister) to Duluth, MN for Thanksgiving. This was Lauren's yarn choice. She wasn't even in on the original deal but when we got to JoAnn Fabrics I let her pick some yarn too. I loved her choice! I knew Nancy would agree to make a hat for the red-head. She likes red-heads : )

For me, a non-knitter, this sure doesn't look easy!

This is mine! The yarn is nice mix of gray and brown.

I mean really! Look at that pattern! I love it!

Getting the package was an even bigger surprise because Nancy had so many Christmas gifts she just completed. I told her that these needed to be low priority and if we got them next winter that would be fine!

Apparently Nancy's husband Nate shipped the box to the wrong address (transposed my address with the neighbors across the street) and by the time Tuesday evening rolled around she finally broke down and sent me an email saying "Are you home?" "I can't stand it any longer! Go check your front door!" I bounded off the couch and found nothing! Forty-two emails later, twelve texts, and two trips across the street to the neighbors house later and I had my package! Whew! All we could think of was two delightful hand made hats lost in a shipping black hole! Nancy's co-workers said I would have to stalk people at the local grocery store to see who stole my box! (Oh, and I must add that Nate said he was very, very, very sorry!)

Lauren LOVED her hat!

She wore it to school the next day and said "I want to wear it all day!"

I can wear my hat fully pulled down like this...

Or slouch it in the back like this!

(I'm a hippie wanna-be at heart anyway!)

Matching slouchy hats is super cool!

And now I will demonstrate the various ways in which one can wear a slouchy hat! I took all these photos with my iPhone. For this purpose, I'm glad they are grainy and you can't see that I'm fresh from a work-out, red-faced and no makeup on!

The bottom line is:

THANK YOU SO MUCH NANCY!

We love the hats and We love you!

Support One Another.....

2012-01-13T11:13:00.000-06:00

This is Shannon Hyland Tassava.

This is Shannon's Book.

Available in ebook NOW and Jan. 27 in a "real" book.

Order today at Barnes and Noble...

MAMA IN WONDERLAND

~Notes on the chaos and delight of mothering two small girls~

This is Shannon's Blog.

Why I Love to Hate Squinkies....

2012-01-12T13:29:00.001-06:00

Have you heard of Squinkies? I didn't know about them until Lauren received a 12 pack of these small plastic balls with a squishy, rubbery little toy inside. Think: gumball machine toy. (that is the genius behind the idea) She also got a Squinkies game that resembles Trouble. Remember that one?

So the game is the same concept but Squinkie themed.

If I recall, I liked playing Trouble. Perhaps I will have to play a round or two with Lauren!

(You know, that whole "mother of the year" thing I'm working on these days??!!!)

These guys are called "Squinkie Doos" because you can "fix" the hair. OMG. Come on people! Total Troll doll rip-off!

As a mom, this "toy" is all but trinkets and trash in my book. (Can you really call this a toy???!!!) Are you familiar with "trinkets and trash"? My Aunt Sandy uses this term all the time and everyone in my family loves saying it! (We like to think she invented the term!) I even have Lauren using it.

Trinkets and trash refers to these sort of pain in the ass cheap dollar store things that kids like to collect that basically annoy parents. As in annoy, I would mean that you find them laying around in inappropriate places in your house. Or you step on them. Or the vacuum cleaner sucks them up. Here's a good example: those gift bags the kids get at birthday parties. A pencil, an eraser, two stickers on a square of paper the size of a band aid, a tattoo and a piece of candy. (why do kids think this shit is so good?) Another example: anything from Oriental Trading Company. This company has made a gazillion dollars off of trinkets and trash items which find their way into those party gift bags which promptly go in the garbage when we walk through the door. Trinkets and trash annoy the crap out of me! (It's the O.C.D. thing)

Please note: Squinkies are NOT cheap! Or at least in my book. But maybe I'm CHEAP when it comes to spending money on toys! : ) A 16 pack at Target will run you around $8 but the name brand ones (Barbie, Hello Kitty, etc.) are $10. As I google this, I find they are on clearance right here for $2.76. If I wasn't so irritated with the mess that Squinkies make, I would buy them at this price!

And in true marketing form, the company isn't about to leave the boys out of this party! They tout them as "collectible" to the kids so you want not just one pack of 12, but all the other themes! (insert big smiley sarcastic face here!) Matchbox, Cars, Barbie, Hello Kitty, you know the drill!

In my good mom ways, I had a sneaking suspicion that this "TOY" was in fact, NOT designed by a woman. Seriously, my first thought when I saw these little do-daddies in the package was CLUTTER. So I did a little research and BINGO! I was right! Designed by a man! Shocking!

Here is the full story from the New York Times because I know you are going to stop everything and promptly read about a man who made his own gazillion dollars off trinkets and trash. But I found myself rather delighted by the story and the founder. I feel happy for his success.

Blip Toys founder, Bill Nicholas

Blip Toys is a 16 person operation in Minnetonka, MN (I like that!)

Maybe I love to hate Squinkies because I'm just mad that I didn't think of them!

Mr. Nicholas said he was rushing Squinkies to stores to ride the holiday wave while it lasted. "Kids move on very quickly," he said. Smart man!

New Skills...

2012-01-11T14:28:00.000-06:00

As a parent it seems like your heart can grow larger day by day! I couldn't be more proud or feel such excitement for Lauren as she learns how to read. I think it is one of the keys to success.....being a good reader. New adventures await at the turn of a page! And with this crazy weather we are having we are sure not in a cold, cold place and that is fine by me! I think we all have some renewed energy and Spring-like feelings blooming in our hearts! It's what we needed to get us through the rest of winter! Snowstorm tomorrow? You don't scare me.

Just to make you HAPPY today!

2012-01-11T10:50:00.000-06:00

Because it is January 11, 2012 in Chicago and it was 54 degrees outside yesterday, I offer you this little slice of JOY! I hope the sun is shining by you and you feel possibility in your heart! Spread some love today!

Now that it's all but a Memory.....

2012-01-09T20:57:00.000-06:00

I think I might have been in overdrive over the holidays. (Ya think? That's all I've blogged about for weeks! I apologize!) You know, I was just kind of going through the motions and not necessarily appreciating the little things. Oh, I tried but I'm the magic maker in this family (all Mom's are....let's get real) and I did my best. Now that the doggone decorations, wreaths, Santa's, snowmen and tree are packed away until next November (I will blink and it will be here again!) I can reflect and appreciate. Below are my reflections and appreciations!

I am so lucky that my Grandmother is still alive. She will be 89 in February!

This is my cousin Robb's wife Shawn and her son Jack.

I love that she calls him Jackie.

This picture makes me so happy.

I love that Lauren wears hats.

She got this new Hello Kitty Fedora for Christmas and wore it non-stop for days!

I loved having kid-free nights out with friends.

Nobody loves a dirty martini more than me!

I love that Lauren got new packs of food for her Baby Alive

doll and fed her until her doll had a "blow out" and required a bath!

I love that my husband is funny.

I love that Evan loves Angry Birds.

When his stocking holder fell off the mantel and gashed

his head (minor) the Angry Bird band aids solved everything!

I love that my mom does special projects with the kids.

She showed me how to be a magic maker.

I love that Lauren thinks my hometown mall is cool.

As my friend Chad called it, it's the post-apocalyptic mall.

There are like five stores in the whole pathetic place.

I love that my memories of this mall are treasured.

I love that with some champagne on New Year's Day I can do bottle cap necklaces,

shrinky dinks and a gingerbread house and really enjoy these projects with the kids!

I love a road trip on a Monday for lunch on Christmas break.

I love a good pint with lunch.

I love that little boy.

I love that Lauren wore her real deal official tiara all day.

I really do have a fantastic life.

I really did have a wonderful holiday season!

Gingerbreading.....

2012-01-06T18:35:00.000-06:00

The beauty of doing a gingerbread house AFTER Christmas is that you buy the kit for $5 vs. $10 at Target!

And you also buy a can of green "easy frost" for $1 and some random red, green and white sprinkles for cheap! They were even in containers shaped like Christmas tree bulbs!

And since I'm up for Mother of the Year in 2012, the kids are doing this project AFTER did bottle cap necklaces! And then later we did shrinky dinks! I mean really, there is no competition here. I just got it all out of my system on the very first day of the new year! And do you see that glass in the above photo? Tervis tumblers with a lovely Green Bay Packer logo which contains champagne. You heard it here first. Kid projects and booze go hand in hand my friends!

And that squirelly lookin' gingerbread man you see above? Yep, that was me. And a lovely little mini candy cane to greet you as you cross the threshold of the door, also my idea. I find myself oddly into these projects with the kids once we get going. It's probably because I'm so creatively starved in all areas except for this blog. Oh sure, I have dreams people. Dreams of going away on art excursions and whipping out my mini travel watercolor set and thick paper to paint and ponder the landscape. Oh yes I do my friends. But that's another post.

Quite lovely work from the children if I do say!

The little guys may have eaten more than they decorated, but that is the fun!

Holy cow?! How many pictures do you think people want to see of this? Come ON already!

Love Dog + Gingy = Christmas/New Year Success!

Taylor Swift, I mean Taylor Ashley!

2012-01-06T17:14:00.003-06:00

After Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and all that lounging around and doing nothing I packed up the kids and headed to my mom's house for a nice change of scenery. It worked out quite nicely. We did more lounging, eating, drinking and general nothingness. But I wasn't in my house. And I could pop out whenever I wanted without the kids coming with! Grandmothers are cool like that. However, after almost a week in my hometown I was pit-near crawling out of my skin. My friend said her serotonin levels drop after a few days. I get it! I get it!

My cousin Robb and his wife Shawn have two kids, Taylor and Jack. Taylor is nine or ten or one of those cool ages. Jack is 5 months younger than Evan and has mad skills in the speech department and is a really cool kid. The entire weekend my kids just played and hung out with his kids. It was lovely. Except for my mom's rather smallish house. And the boys yelling and screaming just for fun every time they ran into a room. The girls holed away in a bedroom doing random girl things like listening to Kid Bop 19 and setting up stations for their American Girl dolls.

(on a side note Lauren came home from school today and said "all the girls at school have REAL American Girl dolls" and this is what flew out of my mouth: "OH, WHO CARES?! You can't even tell the difference between yours and an AG doll and frankly their parents are dumb for buying such an expensive doll. Your Tanta Tracy wanted to buy you a real one and I said no." (SO THERE! Nana Nana Boo Boo) OMG. I have got to get my mouth in check! What I should have said was, "The people in Haiti are still F'ed and you want a stinkin' $100 doll? Get real sweet cheeks." Or perhaps, "Do you not understand the state of our current economy or the unemployment stats and do you realize we are in a depression despite all those who say we aren't? Go ask Great Grandma about that depression shit." Or you know, something along those lines!!!) When I wanted Zena jeans my Dad gave me the lecture about "do you know how many hours I have to work at the mill to pay for those jeans?" and he comprised with "I'll pay for half." Genius. Pure genius. That man was a good one. I'm paying it forward Dad!!!

So back to the above video featuring Taylor Ashley and her mad singing skills! She was singing this song all weekend and I videotaped her. I asked Shawn (Taylor's Mom and my cousin Robb's wife) if she learned it at Bible camp or Sunday school or something. Shawn laughed out loud and said, "Um, it's a P Diddy Song (or Diddy or Puff Daddy or whatever he calls himself these days)! She laughed and said "wait until you hear Diddy's version because it's nothing like this!" I googled it today and found a girl named Skylar Grey singing the intro and then Diddy Dirty Money (huh?) busting out some wrap jamz. Frankly I might be too old for all this celebrity nonsense! And I use the term "celebrity" loosely!

Anyway, I think it's great that Taylor let me video tape her and she was not embarrassed. (well, maybe just a tiny bit!) She is at that great age where she she's so matter of fact about things and getting so mature. And just so you can see Diddy in action, I have graciously included his video! (I know you are so excited right now!) I especially love the telephone cord dizzle-dangling across the wall behind Taylor like we are living in some crack den!!! It's called an old house that doesn't adapt to modern things like cordless phones and such!

Happy weekend! It's been rough getting back on track and the kids are tired and need a bath! Lauren got off the bus tonight exhausted. On a much happier note, I have a babysitter coming Saturday night AND for most of the day on Sunday. Now that is a nice weekend!

2012~Bring it!

2012-01-04T21:24:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year! I'm glad to be back home after a week away and getting back into the swing of the normal routine. We missed the school bus this morning for the first time ever! Come on! All Christmas decorations (and I had plenty!) came down today. I love that feeling of how big and spacious and clean and clear the house feels after all that STUFF is put away. I'm exhausted but happy. Every year I put all those decorations away and cannot even fathom going through all that work again! Like birthing a baby, a need a good long year to forget the pain!

The holidays took the wind out of my sails this year. I wanted to be present and happy but I'm not sure I was. I did it for the kids, for the special traditions I am instilling in them. I had moments of happiness but I think I enjoyed doing nothing at my mom's house for the week afterward. Holidays are definitely for the children. My mom and grandparents and relatives did all the work for me when I was young and now it's my turn. They made everything special. I'm dreaming of the holidays where I am sitting on the beach with a good book and a glass of wine instead of all this work! I know I shouldn't wish these days away. I read something the other day that said "the days are long but the years are short." I'm already visualizing my days with my adult children and their children. (Think Parenthood the t.v. show or the movie The Family Stone, both of which I love!)

No crazy NYE celebrations to report upon. I was in bed before midnight and didn't even drink champagne! I'm 40 years old, who cares! I like to think that I celebrate the ordinary all the time. No resolutions here either. Just good old fashioned common sense living. Living within our below our means, cooking whole food, some exercise, giving hugs daily and a good positive outlook on this amazing life we are living. Thank you for being a part of the journey with me.

Christmas at our house...

2011-12-27T12:58:00.000-06:00

Good bye Jasper. I'll see your punk-ass next year.

I couldn't resist showing you how I really feel about you!

Dino liked you too!

How juvenile am I that I set this scenario up while putting the kids presents out?

A new addition to the tree this year!

"The stockings were hung.....

by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there."

These were the mutual gifts : ) (you know, like to share!)

Lauren's Stash...

Evan's Stash...

The calm before the storm!

Twister Dance Moves!

Sissy helping Buddy out with this gifts...

The aftermath!

Those tinker toys were scattered from one end of the house to the other!

Lauren is helping clean up!

A new basketball hoop for the basement until spring comes!

(and that will promptly be put outside!)

A sleigh centerpiece for Mom.

Good bye Christmas! It's been exhausting.

It's been fun but I'll see you around.....same time next year.

Merry Christmas Eve....

2011-12-24T18:52:00.000-06:00

It truly is a Wonderful Life that I am leading. Thank you for stopping by here every once and awhile and being a part of my life and this little blog of mine. I appreciate your friendship and support! Have a fantastic holiday weekend....

Love, T

Clarence said it best: "Strange isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

Ikea Stockpile...

2011-12-23T10:32:00.000-06:00

Is it stockpiling or hoarding? I have yet to decide. As crazy as it sounds, I braved IKEA on Tuesday just for tea lights and ligonberries! (I was in the vicinity of Ikea and I was pit-near down to my last tea light candle) I have a method of parking on the side of Ikea where there are a few parking spots but mostly big signs that say "loading zone" for all those people who are attempting to strap that disposable furniture to the roof of their tiny cars. I then enter through the exit near the food court and walk over to the big bins near the check out and get what I need and promptly get the hell outta there! It's been years since I've actually been on the other levels. This is a good thing. Ikea has that Target way about them.....I go in for tea lights and ligonberries and leave with $300 worth of stuff that I think I need.

In my defense, I gave 5 of these away. (100 candles come in each pack and I got 12 packs)

You can read all about the ligonberry here. It's a staple food in Scandinavian cuisine. We love it in our house. We use it like jelly but have been known to put it on cereal, ice cream and especially rice pudding this time of year. My mother has been know to eat a jar in a week. Some of these are for her!

"Ligonberry jam has been popularized in North America by the well known IKEA superstores where it is sold in large quantities, including buckets." : )

Elf Gone Wild....

2011-12-21T18:36:00.001-06:00

My bestie and I had a little fun with the kids elf, Jasper, while drinking champagne and hanging out and relishing in the glory of the kids being in bed and the hubs travelling for work. Basically, pretending we were ten years younger. Man, did we rock it back in the day!

Remember when you would go home from college over the holiday break and go out every night with all your high school friends at all the local hometown bars? Our favorite bar was called "The Oak." My bestie Bobbi reminded me of this tonight. They had the world's best bloody Mary. The bar had matchbooks they gave away and the cover was purple with a gold oak tree on it. (I think I still have one in my hoarder box of keepsake things.) And you could smoke IN the bar people. Like INSIDE inside. Not that I ever did such things.

Jasper, like any little good elf, likes a little nip now and then.

My cousin Megan calls this one "Plank Position by Elf"!

I call it passing out on top of the glass!

This one is called "caught in a bun" on Bern's head....

Plank on a bun anyone?

Jasper got caught up in Bern's hair net. As to why she wears a hair net, well, that's a different post!

Hangin' with my home cheese....

I know this may seem juvenille, immature and ridiculous, but we laughed our asses off at this one.

It's the little things people!

This was my little Jasper surprise last night. I have far too many Christmas presents for the kids because I started shopping this summer at the peak of garage sale season. I act like Jasper is helping Santa out and leaving little surprises for them. I owe this one to my sister. She is convinced that her kids appreciate a gift or two every few days leading up to Christmas and aren't so overwhelmed at a pile of gifts. I agree. Last year Lauren quickly opened up all her gifts in a frenzy and then seemed disappointed and really just wanted to open more gifts instead of checking out her new stuff.

So Japser cuddled up inside the sleeping bag he left for Evan and "wore" Lauren's hat.

There is just something about those eyes. It's like he is looking at you no matter where you are in the room. I can't decide if it's creepy or cool. "Please do not touch me. My magic might go, and Santa won't hear all I've seen or I know." Oh Jasper! You won't tell Santa on us will you? I keep telling the kids that adults are allowed to touch him and he'll still have his stinkin' magic. GET A CLUE KIDS! Mom makes ALL the f'ing magic around here!

Holiday Hosting.....

2011-12-20T18:34:00.004-06:00

I hosted the Anderson Family Christmas on Saturday. I prepped all my food/appetizers ahead of time and was organized, inspired and really had my act together. I was fully prepared to sit back and relax and enjoy the party. It was a good thought. But that is not what happened.

Here is the "casual" table for those adults with small children who need assistance and the tweens. The white tablecloth is a vintage favorite of my Grandma Kushman's. It has a few stains here and there but I adore it. It's a Christmas treat to pull this out year after year.

Vintage red doily from my first trip to Sweden. Vintage "Welcome" sign was my mom's from back in the day. I remember this from my childhood. The tall glass jar was in my bathroom filled with shells and beach glass and I emptied it for some Christmas balls instead.

The tree and great room before the chaos.

This is my vintage Moravian star that my mom had for a million moons and also a part of all my childhood Christmases. She gave it to me years ago. (do you see the pattern here? She downsized her holidays and I got the goods!) Sadly, the material is literally peeling away from the plastic and it had a funky smell. I need to get a replacement. I found them on Amazon for around $29 depending on the size. I'm hoping for an after holiday sale.

I am obsessed with these vintage Christmas tree balls that I found at a church thrift store for .25 cents a piece!!! These are in mint condition and strung them all together on fishing line and hung them across the doorway. These balls would cost a fortune in an antique store.

I love how they look across the doorway! I also love how everything is so perfectly set up and prepped. The sight after the party made me want to lie down in the fetal position and cry.

This is my new Cheese head nutcracker. He makes me so happy!

Here is a photo of our bar setup. I bet no one even had a drink (besides wine) but this made me very happy to have a full bar! This is the first time we set up shop in this "butlers pantry" area. It worked well. We even put out a pitcher of water here too so when anyone needed to refill their drink we just directed them to the bar.

This was our "elders table" setup. We pulled out all the fine china which gets used once a year if we lucky. The teak buffet that you see behind the table is where it is all housed when not in use. I had to dig through all my other collectibles. I realize I must stop buying! I am running out of room! I might be a hoarder. I'm an organized hoarder. That makes it better.

One of my favorite pieces of our fine China (Limoges pattern purchased from auction before we were married) is that gorgeous gravy boat! The butter "tray" (silver and glass) was Grandma Anderson's. The tablecloth is from Target but I found it new in the package at Goodwill. The lace runner is vintage from my mom. I think she got it from my Great Aunt Ruth's trip to Belguim. (all these treasures make me so happy!) So much history! I don't have any good napkin rings so I used some skinny and glittery bracelets. I contemplated some lovely red ribbon and a pine cone or something I could find around the house but at this point in the game I went for easy. My mother in law did a napkin fold called the king's crown and I she showed me how to do it years ago. These napkins weren't starched so it wouldn't work.

We set up another (plastic) folding table and chairs and continued the fine china.

I pulled out some individual lace doiley and put it over the top of a Santa runner with all my Kosta Boda candles.

This is a little cutesy vignette I set up on the shelves with family photos and Swedish themed items.

Mr. German Santa was a $1.00 find at the thrift village. He's vintage coolness.

This is another $1.00 thrift village find. A lovely little Swedish child pulling the bell on a straw heart.

SIGH~ 1968 copyright! The Night before Christmas book in mint condition by Clement C Moore. WITH velvet fuzziness on the clothes! I can't stand it! I paid 99 cents! They are going for $25 on Amazon!

This is a dark shot but I love how the tree looks.

Then I guess somebody decided to use a flash! See how dazed and confused I look?

This is Nathan and his mom Katie.

Nathan is wearing Hannah Andersson.

Here's Anna! Also wearing a matching Hannah outfit to her brothers!

Evan and his buddy Nathan.

Nephew Konrad. Coolest and nicest kid around.

Check out his cool hair! Way cooler than Justin Bieber's if I do say so myself!

And now I present to you the photos Lauren took when she took my camera....

A sippy cup....always a classic.

The top of the sugar bowl...

For the love of coffee....

And a kid finger to the left....

I am not sure why all my planning, preparing and organization skills (mad skillzzzzz yo!) did not enable me to relax, sit or enjoy the party. I got second degree burns on my thumb and forefinger and felt like I was shot out of a cannon. Hubs felt the same way and he only did half the work. I sat on the couch the following day in my PJs and drank the leftover wine and wondered what the hell had just happened! I love my family and love hosting because I feel I'm good at it. I believe in the saying "love is in the details."

Things other people probably don't even notice...I NOTICE. I go the extra mile. I Nate Berkus and Martha Stewart the shit out of things without spending a fortune. I do it with love. I do it from the heart. However, this year I think Mars was in retrograde or something because I was not present and I'm not sure I enjoyed the party. I think hosting a big party is like birthing a baby: It takes a year to forget the pain and then you can do it again!!!!!!!!

Luckily my bestie is in the house for the whole week! We drank wine last night and watched RHBH and Watch what happens Live with Andy Cohen and played the drinking game. (the word was GLEE!) It was joyous. It was a big Christmas present wrapped up in a velvet bow. We also took photos of Jasper our Elf on the Shelf. I'll happily share those photos with you tomorrow! That woman who writes the blog "People I want to Punch in the Throat" has got nuthin' on me!!! (But that's a WHOLE other post) I'm not sure I love her or hate her or want to punch HER in the throat, but one thing I will admit is that I'm jealous of her new found blogger stats and page views and facebook shares. Like my friend Jen said, "Crazy sells."

Bacon Wrapped Dates & Water Chestnuts

2011-12-19T18:18:00.000-06:00

Here is a simple appetizer that I have made twice this season and it's a crowd pleaser. A bit putzy, but I prepped these the day before my party. Take a date (mine were huge so I just cut them in half) and put an almond in the inside. My almonds were unsalted, but this is a sweet bite, so I don't think salted almonds would be bad.

Lauren helped with the process...

Always my kitchen helper!

Wrap the date stuffed almond with a small slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick....

Next, roll these bites in some brown sugar....

Bake at 350 degrees until the bacon is brown and crispy.

I cannot stand it when the bacon is not cooked enough!

This recipe says you can use the broiler for 10 mins.

I also used whole water chestnuts and wrapped them in bacon too....

And then just for fun (and because they looked so sad) I added a sprinkling of my favorite seasonings...

Penzeys Seasoned Salt and Northwoods Fire Seasoning....

My friend Bobbi gives me Penzeys spices for gifts. I love them! I love her!

Here is a photo I snatched from All recipes because in the midst of my party hosting I completely forgot to take a photo of how mine looked! The date/almond ones were more popular and very well received!

I also made this Giada De Laurentiis shrimp appetizer twice this season and they are delish! Polenta Crusted Shrimp with Mustard and Herb Mayo dipping sauce. I fried them in a pan with olive the first time, which I think I like better, but cooked them in the oven on Saturday per the directions. (I have a habit of not really reading the recipe!) I also took a look at the reviews and mixed my polenta with panko, as someone suggested and it adds a wonderful texture. Don't skip the sauce. Fresh tarragon (which has a licorice flavor) makes it!

What appetizers have YOU been making this season?!

Evan's Big Show....

2011-12-15T15:46:00.001-06:00

Evan had his first big "performance" of this career today at Preschool. His first Christmas performance! I kept asking him to sing to me one of the songs for the show but he was not interested. That was the first sign.

All the kids walked onto the stage and found their mom or dad or grandparent in the audience and gave loud "Hi Mom!" with a big wave. At this point Evan has not caught my eye. He's secretly freaking out internally that I didn't show!

He still hasn't seen me yet! I keep thinking that when he does see me he will want to bound off the stage.

I don't know why but this picture is like I'm looking at myself. Everybody says Evan looks like the hubs, but really, if you saw my baby pictures you would easily see the resemblance.

Okay, here you go folks. This is it. His big moment of shakin' that jingle bell!

And then we got a little "twinkly lights" hand motion.

Here is the whole class. Good thing all those girls got into the singing. One boy did too. He had enough enthusiasm for the whole calss! They held up the rest of them (Evan!) that didn't sing one note!

A little jingle bell bounce!

So he didn't sing a word and pretty much stood on the stage with his hands in his pockets. I would share the video footage with you, but that's exactly what you would see and I will spare you! Footage only a mother could love!

Why Evan Scares Me...

2011-12-14T21:04:00.000-06:00

A face only a mother could love!!!

This is what I woke up to this morning. Evan did the SAME thing last night while I was on the phone with my sister. Five minutes later and he had constructed this little obstacle course to get to the higher shelves above where I stashed all the DVDs because he has become obsessed with them. I'm not so sure he even wants to watch a movie, but rather fly the equipment. He has self-taught himself that when you power up the DVD player it turns the TV on. He also knows which remote to use and to press the middle button to play the movie. He could do this for hours. He only wants to watch five or ten minutes of the movie and then switch to another DVD. Of course I told him to NEVER do this again as he could fall and get really, really hurt. Um, yeah. He could care less.

While I was blogging this afternoon I might have heard "Eat Papa, eat (nobody likes a skinny Santa)" ten times. (From Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) Now I keep saying it to the kids and they laugh and laugh as if I'm the funniest mom in the world. I really am. And to think that I am not medicated.

I just told the hubs the whole story and although he sees the danger in the situation, he might be pretty excited that a three year old problem solved to this degree. Holy shit! Call in the specialists! We are now convinced he's a bloody genius. (that's more fun if you say it with a British accent)

Thank the Sweet Lord above that child is sleeping right now. It's been one helluva day with him.

WHO ME?

Framing up the Joint.....

2011-12-14T13:28:00.000-06:00

Last night I emailed my BF and my sister last night inquiring about what state they consider the most "in their heart" and asked all these encrypted questions of which they had no idea what I was talking about and now the secret is out after this post! But all it was is an inquiry into a future gift from me! An Etsy gift!

For those of you who may not know what Etsy is, it can be described as, "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade, vintage and supplies."

These Etsy prints are called STATE LOVE....

SWEDEN=Country Love & WISCONSIN=State Love!

Blue and yellow are the colors of the Swedish flag

This is a Christmas gift for the hubs.

(more like a gift more me and my design plans!)

I am obsessed with Etsy. I try not to browse the site too much because I want to buy every handmade thing I see. But I couldn't look past these. The hubs was born in Sweden and I'm a Wisconsin girl. You can find more of the "state love" or "country love" series in Adrienne Zavalcik's Etsy store. She also has some great birth announcement prints that I think I'm going to get. Check out her etsy store and see all her wonderful work! Please note that when you order these you get an 8 x 10 print and you can pick the color of the state or country. (frame and mat not included)

Green and Gold for Packer Pride baby!!!!

I bought some inexpensive frames at Target that came with white mats. When I got home I realized that a white print and a white mat wouldn't be too exciting and not the look or idea I was going for at all! So instead of returning these frames and running all around town to find colored mats and spending more money than I'd like too, I googled "spray painting mats" and read a few suggestions from people who tried it. Well I did it and you can see my success. I already had the can of yellow spray paint and bought the cheapest can of green spray paint I could find at Wal-mart. I swear the cheaper the spray paint the easier it applies. Am I crazy?

Now that the basement is finished I have so many walls to decorate and I want to put these country love/state love prints on the walls as you walk down the stairway. I have added this print which Lauren did as a school project. The PTA had a fundraiser and you could order all sorts of merchandise with her art on it. (not cheap!) If you didn't order something you didn't get to keep the original art (that's how they get you!) so now I have this "official" print and the original. (for Grandma?) I thought $9.00 was worth it to have this look so "professional."

I'm a sucker for any artwork including the kids hands!

I had Lauren "sign" her artwork on the matting of the print. I gave her a pencil and told her sign her name very small on the left hand corner. Can you see that other "n" that I made her erase? And then on her own she added some big 'ol heart. I turned my back for two seconds! I had to get my control freakness in check and realize how much cuter this is with her special touch and her Kindergarten handwriting and erasures on it!

So how is your Christmas shopping coming along? Any fab etsy purchases I should know about?

Birthday Boy....

2011-12-13T18:10:00.000-06:00

Or rather we could call him "The Boy that would not show his Face" !!!

Red velvet cupcake for breakfast no less!

Opening his present from Sissy...a Star Wars Light Saber

A big pointy weapon-like toy! Awesome!

A monster truck.....always a fan favorite!

The best part is ripping and tearing....

A hot wheels launcher is good!

Monster truck and a birthday crown!

I love this one.

Just look up and smile Evan.....NOPE.

Hiding behind the cupcake.

Still really no face shown! I gave up.

I have an official THREE year old in the house!

He got two shots at the doctor yesterday and didn't even flinch or cry!