Dukes and Duchesses

Wrapping Up January

2012-01-31T06:34:00.000-06:00

January was a fun and busy month, full of parties and home decor projects. If you missed some posts, here's what I've been up to.
In January, I made a beaded bulb cover, hosted a soup swap, made a Pinterest-inspired peg board for Kennedy, painted my laundry room, had a brush with The New York Times, baked some cookies, celebrated Kennedy's thirteenth birthday, had a potty party for the newly-trained Tate, and had a hot cocoa party with friends.
Now on to the month of love!

Tate's Journal of Funnies

2012-01-30T12:15:00.003-06:00

A few years ago, I posted about the journals I use to keep track of the funny things my kids say. They're among my favorite possessions and we go back and read them frequently. I'm so glad I've written down their funny little quotes.
Tate just has just started saying cute and funny things. One of my favorites? She tells us, "I love you too much. Ever." I love it.
She's ready for a journal and I thought I'd show you what I do. Cheap and easy is the name of the game.
I use a store-bought composition notebook {if you buy them when school supplies are on sale, they're no more than twenty-five cents.} I really like the standard binding on the books so I peel it back so I can use it.

I trace the cover onto a piece of scrapbook paper ...

... glue it onto the book and reapply the journal's binding {I just glue it right back down}.

Some filing around the edges ...

... and a bit of distressing ink ...

... and it's almost finished. On Tate's, I added a little chipboard letter. That's it - ready for all her funny, sweet quotes.

Do you journal the cute things your kids say?

A Green Apple Laundry Room

2012-01-29T11:08:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to paint my laundry room for quite some time. It was a blah white and everything just faded into everything else.

For the amount of time I spend in there, washing clothes for seven, it really needed to be a bit more fun.

I thought bright green would look great against the cubbies and swimsuit hooks and really set off the white cabinets. I used Granny Smith Apple by Glidden and we all just love it.

The room has no natural light so it's difficult to get good photos but these give you an idea.

Laundry day is going to be a lot brighter this week.

A Pinterest-Inspired Peg Board

2012-01-28T07:50:00.000-06:00

Back in October, I gave my friend, Kim, a Pinterest gift. I gave her the supplies to make something from her Pinterest board and promised I'd make it with her. We did our shopping last week and got together yesterday to put our peg boards together.

I made my board for Kennedy's room so I chose knobs in tones of blue and green, and added in a couple of fun ones like a clock face and a peace sign. The knobs all came from Hobby Lobby ... their selection is fantastic and if you catch them at 50% off, they're also extremely affordable.

I spray painted a leftover board with Rustoleum Heirloom White, then sanded it and rubbed it with a dark Minwax stain. I drilled holes for the knobs and added picture hangers to the back. Done.

It looks really cute in Kennedy's room {although we're debating about whether we'll take down the wall decal dots underneath} and is perfect for hanging hoodies, purses, and all the other junk that's currently cluttering her floor. One can always hope.

I'm linking to Nifty Thrifty Things

Making Bias Tape

2012-01-27T06:46:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, Jessica at Me Sew Crazy, held a contest for a bias tape maker ... and I won! With the craziness of the holidays, it's just been sitting in the box waiting for a test run. This week I dug it out, read the directions and made my first homemade bias tape.
I've never wanted to make homemade bias tape in my life until I bought Oliver + S Little Things to Sew. Suddenly, homemade bias tape in adorable prints seemed like something I just had to have. I was so excited when I won Jessica's contest!

With a little project in mind for Lila and Tate, I used some fabric from the stash for my first experiment - a printed flannel, and a cotton print.
I cut the strips and sewed them together in one long piece as per the directions in Oliver + S {if you don't have this book, I'm sure you can find great directions online}. Because I was using scraps from the stash, my pieces between seams are shorter than normal but I decided it really wouldn't matter for this project. Cutting the strips and sewing them together was somewhat therapeutic for my ruler-loving, symmetry-adoring personality.

Once sewn together, I followed the machine directions and ran the strips through.

It's crazy how fulfilling it is to see the bias tape being spit out the other end.
I will say, I had a bit of trouble with the flannel. I think it was just a bit too thick and my seams got caught at times.

The cotton ran through perfectly though.

I wrapped the bias tape around pieces of cardboard to keep them wrinkle free until I use them.

Now I'm excited to get my little sewing project done ... once finished, I'll post how I used these strips.

I'm linking to Creative Itch

Comfort Food :: Corn Sausage Chowder

2012-01-26T06:46:00.000-06:00

I recently shared this recipe at The CSI Project and thought I'd repost it here for those that didn't see it.
I love comfort food. The cold days of winter just make me want to put a pot of soup on the stove, break out the bread machine, and huddle up with the family. You too?
This recipe for Corn-Sausage Chowder is delicious. And easily thrown together at the end of the day. If your house is as busy as ours, those are magical words. Let me tell you how to make this yummy soup.
Gather your ingredients. One pound of pork sausage, 1 cup coarsely chopped onion, 3 cups 1/2-inch pieces red potatoes, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, one 15 1/4-ounce can whole-kernel corn {drained}, one 14 3/4-ounce can creamed corn, one 12-ounce can evaporated milk {I always use fat free}.

In a large pot, cook the pork sausage and onion until the sausage is brown and the onion is tender. Drain well or later you'll have a layer of grease floating on top of your soup. A little bit nasty.

Stir in the potatoes, water, salt, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about ten minutes or until the potato pieces are tender.

Stir in both cans of corn and the evaporated milk. Cook and stir until heated through.
That's it! Serve with a loaf of homemade bread or a store-bought baguette. See? I told you it was easy.

This soup is a cold-day staple around our house. I hope you enjoy it too!

Etsy Branding

2012-01-25T06:42:00.000-06:00

One of my goals this year is to prioritize my etsy shop and attempt to grow my business there.

I'm so inspired by Alicia's etsy shop {and her great blog}. Alicia develops seasonal lines and her products seem to really represent who she is. I love that! My goal is to figure out that fine line between what I love and what sells and really improve my shop.
Along those lines, I decided to put a little more effort into branding. Confession: I'm terrible about slapping my sold item in an envelope and racing to the post office. There's definitely no happy factor when someone opens my parcel and I hate that.
Packaging is a simple fix so I started there. I chose two colors of ribbon, bought plain tissue paper, wrote up a few thank you stickers, and made some cheap business cards. I already had the address labels {thank you, long ago freebie}. I'm taking a few extra minutes to wrap things, simply but sweetly. It's not much but it's a step in the right direction.

I'd love to hear your etsy thoughts and advice. Do you have a shop? Leave a link in the comments. What's your best sales tip? Is there something that stands out for you when you order from etsy? What makes a shop great? I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Cookie of the Month :: Toffee-Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies

2012-01-24T06:22:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago my older kids were over at Grandma's while she baked cookies and they informed her that I never bake cookies from scratch. Now never might be a bit strong but I realized I rarely bake so this year I decided I'll make homemade cookies once a month.

Martha's not the only one who can have a Cookie of the Month, right?
This month I broke out the parchment paper and made Flourless Toffee-Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies ... a recipe from Real Simple.
The verdict from the kids? Delicious!

Toffee-Pretzel Peanut Butter CookiesMakes 42
2 cups creamy peanut butter1 cup packed light brown sugar1 cup granulated sugar2 large eggs2 teaspoons baking soda1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1 cup broken salted pretzels1 cup chopped chocolate-covered toffee bar
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, sugars, eggs, baking soda, and salt until smooth.
Fold in pretzels and toffee bar pieces.
Shape the dough into balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using the tines of a fork, flatten each ball, creating a crisscross pattern.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until puffed and golden, 10 to 12 minutes (the cookies will deflate as they cool). Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I'm linking to Ginger Snap Crafts, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Yesterday on Tuesday, Serenity Now

Valentine's Day Inspiration

2012-01-23T06:33:00.001-06:00

I've had pink and red on my mind lately and Pinterest is full of great ideas for Valentine's Day. Wanna see a few of my favorites?

This is just adorable. And clever. And so cute for any age.

Source: bloomdesignsonline.blogspot.com via Randi on Pinterest

I might have to make these cute little napkins for dinner on Valentine's Day. And pink milk, of course. Lisa Storms is so talented and full of amazing ideas.

Source: fiskars.com via Randi on Pinterest

These heart-shaped cinnamon rolls are so sweet. A little bit of pink icing drizzled on top and you've got yourself a sweet breakfast.

Source: poppiesatplay.blogspot.com via Randi on Pinterest

I love these marshmallows with the little heart cutouts.

Source: gigglesglitzandglam.blogspot.com via Randi on Pinterest

And these are on my "copy" list this week. I love them but hate the price tag so I'm going to try to make my own. Aren't they cute?

Source: williams-sonoma.com via Randi on Pinterest

What Valentine fun are you planning?

A Few of Kennedy's Favorite Things

2012-01-22T12:12:00.000-06:00

Kennedy celebrated her birthday last night ... she'll be thirteen this week. I can't believe we'll have two teenagers in our house!

Kennedy decided to have a Favorite Things party and it ended up being a great evening of things that really represented her.

A green and blue balloon canopy covered the food table and added some color the room. I love these polka dot balloons from Polka Dot Market.

The table was set very simply ... a few balloons overhead, colorful fabric on the table, plates and napkins in blue and green {with more polka dots}, and Kennedy's "cake" as the centerpiece.

I loved the place cards for the girls. The names were printed in blue {in Sketch Block font} and each place card included Kennedy's favorite thing(s) about that person.

I broke out the Silhouette and added a little vinyl to the island where we set all the food.

The island was a buffet of some of Kennedy's favorite foods: white cheddar popcorn, Funyuns, Cheez-Its, Chex Mix, grapes, and cheese and crackers.

I used the Silhouette to label the drink bucket as well ...

... and set out colorful striped straws ...

... soda and duct tape covered water bottles.

Instead of a regular cake, we opted to do a Kevin Sharkey-inspired Oreo cake. Kennedy wanted Golden Oreos rather than regular chocolate ones, and we made our cake much smaller than the 20-package Oreo cake Kevin made. I lined the cake plate with ribbon {a Martha idea}.

When the girls arrived, they filled out cards of their favorite things and then had to guess who filled in what.

They also had a bubble gum blowing contest {Kennedy's favorite bubble gum} ...

... that brought a lot of laughs.

The final game was a Minute to Win It inspired cookie game.

Rather than give out goody bags at the end of the party, the girls got prizes during the games - an assortment of some of Kennedy's favorite things.

It was a great evening of giggly girls and a fun way to usher Kennedy into her teen years.

I'm linking to Tatertots and Jello

The Second Annual Soup Swap

2012-01-21T06:57:00.000-06:00

I hosted our Second Annual Soup Swap yesterday. It's such a simple thing to organize and we had a great time. Twelve ladies took part this year.

I served a big pot of baked potato soup ...

... with toppings ...

... and crusty bread. We ate and talked ...

... and then swapped soup. My kitchen island was completely covered in containers of soup! We didn't plan what everyone would bring but there were no doubles. We lucked out like that last year too.

I have a freezer full of homemade lunches for the next couple of weeks. Tate and I will be eating in style.

Swapping Soup

2012-01-20T06:22:00.000-06:00

This morning I'll be hosting my second annual soup swap, part of the larger National Soup Swap. We had so much fun last year and it was great having a freezer full of soup for lunches. This year we've added a few more ladies and I've been looking forward to it all week.

I made Tomato and Leek Bisque, a flavorful soup that freezes well.

Tomorrow I'll share photos from our swap and until then I'll leave you with this recipe.
Tomato and Leek Bisque
1/4 cup olive oil8 cups chopped leeks, white and pale green parts only2 stalks celery, chopped1 clove garlic, chopped2 14.5 ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained14.5 ounce can chicken broth3/4 cup dry white wine1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice2 teaspoons dried basil leaves1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper3/4 cup whipping cream
In heavy pan, heat oil, leeks, celery, and garlic over medium high heat; cook 8-10 minutes or until leeks are soft. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, wine, and lemon juice. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat; add basil, salt, and pepper. Puree soup mixture in food processor or blender until smooth. {You can freeze at this point.} When ready to serve, add cream and simmer about 10 minutes until thickened. Do not boil. Garnish with basil.

I'm linking to Design Dazzle

Playing With Food

2012-01-19T06:33:00.002-06:00

Luke and Lila love kindergarten and they love learning to spell. Spelling with cookies? Even more fun! We broke open a package of Earth's Best Organic Letter of the Day Cookies and did some hands on spelling. It's very appropriate that Cookie Monster is on this box of cookies because when the homework was done, my little cookie monsters and their siblings polished off the entire box! Good thing these cookies don't have any hydrogenated oils or trans saturated fats.

Luke and Lila practiced word families ...

... and then made some words of their own. Hmmm ... it looks like someone might have already taken a nibble out of the letter A.

You could even play a little round of cookie-style Scrabble Slam ...

... or use these to spell out names instead of traditional place cards {I did something similar here}.
Education and a healthy snack rolled up in one. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
In the spirit of full-disclosure, I've partnered with Earth's Best as part of the "Earth's Best Blogger" program. Throughout the year I'll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways, and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

A Trophy Shelf. The Sequel.

2012-01-18T06:53:00.000-06:00

Okay, it's not really the sequel. But I can't believe I'm actually posting about another trophy shelf.

Now that Luke's playing soccer, the trophies are coming in and I decided to go ahead and add a trophy shelf in his room.

I lucked out {again!} and found another ledge shelf like Lila's. $3.99 at Goodwill. It can't be beat.

Luke's room is green and blue with hints of orange so I decided to paint his shelf orange with a bit of blue peeking through.

I used leftover wall paint to paint the shelf blue although I didn't bother painting areas that I knew I wouldn't be distressing.

Once dry, I used an old {super dusty} candle to rub wax on different areas of the shelf.

Did you know you can just use a plain old candle? I had no idea until I read this post at Lolly Jane Boutique. {Isn't that crib beautiful?}

I've never used wax before so I was a bit cautious, thinking it would really show through the paint. Next time, I'll use a much heavier hand with the wax and use it almost all over.

After waxing the shelf, I coated it with bright orange paint. A Valspar sample left over from the crate project.

Once the paint was dry, I sanded the waxed areas. The blue popped right through! I had no idea it would be so simple.

The shelf is hanging in Luke's room, just waiting for more trophies, and it's a fun pop of color against his walls.

Hot Cocoa with Friends

2012-01-17T06:44:00.000-06:00

It doesn't feel much like winter here in Texas but we had a little hot cocoa get together with friends anyway.
Often, the simplest of gatherings are my favorite. A few planned but simply executed details and time with friends are a lovely combination.
For Monday's hot cocoa party, simple was the key.

Packages of store bought hot cocoa mix ...

... dishes of marshmallows ...

... crushed mints ...

... and mini chocolate chips ...

... with two flavors of whipped cream and styrofoam cups edged in white chocolate and sprinkles. Even better? These red and white sprinkles had a peppermint flavor. Perfect for cocoa.

I hope your long weekend brought simple, delightful gatherings with friends as well.

I'm linking to Tatertots and Jello, Lolly Jane Boutique

Comfort Food and a Winner

2012-01-16T09:50:00.000-06:00

I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes today at The CSI Project. It's a week worth of Comfort Food over there. Doesn't that sound perfect for this time of year? I'll hope you'll pop over to check it out.

And we have a winner for the Earth's Best potty training giveaway! I have to tell you I loved some of the tips you gave for potty training success! There might be no more creative soul than a mother on a mission.

The winner of the potty training pants and flushable wipes is #27, Sandy! Congratulations, Sandy! You should find an email in your inbox.

Thanks to all who entered and thanks for following Dukes and Duchesses!

A Sneak Peek

2012-01-15T13:12:00.000-06:00

Kennedy turns thirteen this month and she'll celebrate with her friends this coming weekend. She came up with a fun theme and the party preparations are in full swing.

The colors Kennedy chose are so cheerful and you can never go wrong with polka dots, can you?

Duct tape {in bright colors and patterns} is one of Kennedy's favorite things so a duct tape banner {inspiration found here} ...

... and duct tape covered water bottles were must-make party decorations.

And striped paper straws in party colors make every party just a little bit better.

I can't wait to share more with you this weekend!

House Love

2012-01-14T06:34:00.000-06:00

The homefront got a little vinyl updating this week.

I loved my old welcome sign on the front door but it had started to peel and I was ready for a change. I saw this idea and had to copy. I think it suits the informal air around here.

And the nasty number decals finally got peeled off the mailbox {thanks, Eli!} and replaced with a bit of white vinyl. So much better! Those shiny gold hardware store decals are high on my list of least favorite things.

Now if I can just get some work down in my jungle of a garden.
I'm linking to Lolly Jane Boutique, I Heart Naptime

A Scarf in Pink

2012-01-13T06:48:00.000-06:00

I mentioned that I had another scarf in the works and I finished it this week. This yarn is from the same line as the other one and is called Katia Tul. You stretch the yarn open as you knit and it has a wonderful lacy appearance.

The finished scarf is so soft and romantic looking. I really like it.

I'm moving the knitting in another direction {away from scarves}, working on a little something for an upcoming birthday. It's cute and fun and perfect for mindless evening knitting. I'll share when it's finished.

Watching the Birds

2012-01-12T06:26:00.000-06:00

A little known fact about me: I love birds. I have no idea why but they just make me happy.

I have a little bird book and I write in the date when I identify various species. Yep, I'm kinda nerdy like that. The best bird that's ever walked or flown into my yard was a wild turkey. It just stared at me through the window. True story.

Because I love birds and I want to encourage the love of nature in my children, I was really excited to have the opportunity to try a new bird feeder from Perky-Pet. I was even more excited when my bird feeder arrived! I chose the Copper Sip and Seed and it's the most beautiful bird feeder I've ever owned.

Tate helped me get it all set up in our front tree {where we do the majority of our bird viewing}.

The Sip and Seed has two cylinders, one for food and one for seed {although you could fill both with water or both with seed ... whatever you need for your winged friends}. It's so simple to fill that even Tate could lend a hand. She poured seed right into the cylinder and helped me screw the tray back on.

The cylinders have a tray on the bottom so the birds can perch while they eat or drink. A collar around the base of the tube allows you to set the "flow" - a slow flow for water or a faster flow for seed. Smart, huh? And the seed and water stay fresh and clean inside the cylinder, making it more attractive to my eye but probably healthier for the birds too. Since water often attracts birds, we're hoping we might see some new varieties in our yard.

Both glass cylinders hang from a decorative copper hook. It looks beautiful hanging in my tree and I've had a number of comments about it from neighbors.

My budding bird watchers have enjoyed standing at the dining room window, watching the birds find this new food and water source. We've also been watching a squirrel gather his courage to have a little sip or snack. So far he's avoided it although, truthfully, we're kind of hoping he tries. The mental picture of a squirrel swinging on the cylinder strikes us as pretty funny.

What about you? Bird friend or foe?

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review, however, I was provided with a bird feeder for the purpose of this review. As always, all opinions and results I share are my own.

Dumpster Diving with my Dad

2012-01-11T06:43:00.000-06:00

If you've read past posts on this blog, you know that I love to find something for nothing. Especially when that something is awesome.

Yesterday, I was driving through my neighborhood after dropping the kids at school and I spotted a dollhouse bookshelf sitting at the curb next to garbage cans. Kids, waiting for the bus, were standing right next to it so I kept driving.

I drove to my parents' house and talked my dad into going with me to snag the shelf. {My initial idea was that my Dad should just go get it, saving me the embarrassment of dragging something from the trash. He had other ideas.}

I'm so glad we went back to get it! The shelf is in impeccable condition. The few marks it had came right off with a magic eraser and the shelf looks like it's brand new.

It appears to be the Circo brand dollhouse shelf that was selling at Target for $80. It's solid and adorable.

My girls just love it and it looks so cute in their room. I've deemed it my best dumpster diving experience to date. It makes me want to bust out and sing Oscar the Grouch's song, "I loooove trash".

And a great bonding experience and initiation for my Dad.

A Potty Training Giveaway from Earth's Best

2012-01-10T06:59:00.000-06:00

I mentioned yesterday that today I'd have a little giveaway for all those potty training or soon-to-be potty training homes out there.

Earth's Best is giving one of my readers one package of Earth's Best Chlorine-Free Flushable Wipes and one package of Earth's Best Potty Training Pants.

Potty training can be one of the most dreaded parts of parenting but having the right supplies definitely makes it easier. I was really happy with the Earth's Best Potty Training Pants. Because they're dye free, chlorine free, latex free, and perfume free, they didn't bother Tate's sensitive skin.

But the thing that really made my life simpler? The flushable wipes! I've never used flushable wipes before and I'm now a convert. Without being graphic, being able to wipe and flush is awesome. Tate's little bottom was clean and I didn't have to worry about plugging up the toilet.

This giveaway is now closed.
~~For your chance to try these great products from Earth's Best, simply leave a comment telling me your best potty training tip.~~
~~For extra entries {leave a comment for each one}:- like Dukes and Duchesses on~~ ~~facebook- follow Dukes and Duchesses on~~ ~~twitter- tweet about this giveaway with a link to this post~~
I'll draw a winner using random.org on January 16th and announce it here.
And for some potty training tips and advice, visit Earth's Best Potty Training Tips.
In the spirit of full-disclosure, I've partnered with Earth's Best as part of the "Earth's Best Blogger" program. Throughout the year I'll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways, and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Tate's Potty Party

2012-01-09T06:32:00.000-06:00

Remember my post about potty training Tate? Well, it worked. She's officially potty trained!

When Luke and Lila got potty trained, we celebrated with a little potty party. Nothing big, just a way of congratulating them and enforcing the achievement.

Yesterday, Tate had her potty party. Grandma and Poppa came over and we celebrated with cupcakes.

I kept it super simple. Tate chose pink and purple for the party so I pulled some fabric from the stash and covered the table, and cut a few things with my Silhouette.

I made a little badge for Tate to wear {although she carried it around during the afternoon and lost it before the party even started}.

We served chocolate cupcakes ... with pink and purple sprinkles, of course. I made little cupcake toppers with cute unders ... again, cut with the Silhouette. Can you believe you can download an unders image? I love it!

Tate was so excited about her party ...

... and especially happy with the cupcakes.

And I'm thrilled she's potty trained!
Is anyone else potty-training these days? Pop back tomorrow for a giveaway that'll help!

A Wedding Gift

2012-01-08T07:14:00.001-06:00

We attended a wedding this weekend and I decided to use my Silhouette to make a gift for the bride and groom. I copied an idea I've seen all over the internet and I was really pleased with the way it turned out.

I used three different fonts and two colors of vinyl and kept it simple so it will fit any decor.

I really like it. I think I might have to make one for our home.
I'm linking to Northern Cottage, Whipperberry

Almost Exciting

2012-01-07T06:47:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a writer at The New York Times. She told me she had seen my duct tape blog post(s) and wanted to interview me for an article she was writing.

Um, sure. Really?

We talked a couple of days later. The article was focusing on duct tape fashion and she was particularly interested in hearing about the duct tape interests of Kennedy and her friends. She asked me lots of questions, took all my information, and told me she'd let me know when the article went to print.

The article ran this week.

With no mention of us. At all.

I kind of figured that might happen.

Kennedy and I had our brush with fame.

And missed.

Apparently we're just not that interesting.

Regardless, it was kind of fun to be interviewed and we saved the article for memory's sake. It'll make a good bookmark in the scrapbook.