Friday, August 29, 2014

Lisa's Scones

If it is quick, has easily accessible ingredients and taste good then I can assure you I am making it.  Lisa's scones (I am not sure who Lisa is...I got the recipe from my mom) fit the bill.  I should mention these scones are flaky in consistency and light. I know most scone recipes are denser (which I also love) but these will not be that way, so be warned. My preferred way of eating them are hot from the oven with a bit of fresh whipped cream and blackberry jam, lemon curd is lovely paired with them as well. You can, of course, easily mix in other ingredients to make them your own ( chocolate chips, cranberries, cheese)
 
Lisa's Scones
 
Preheat oven to  375 degrees
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c sugar
1 c quick oats oatmeal
1/2 c softened butter
1/3 c plain yogurt
 
Mix dry ingredients together with butter and yogurt.

 
Churn out dough onto a floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Pat into a 7 inch round and then cut into 8 wedges with a pizza cutter.
 

 Transfer onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until scones get just slightly browned. Serve warm or cold.
Makes 8
 
 
These with a cup of black coffee are a quick and wonderful way to start a morning. They also keep well for  few days. Enjoy!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Artisan Bread


I posted a photo of this bread some time ago on my instagram page and had a few requests for the recipe. If you enjoy fresh, homemade bread (ummm if you have a pulse I think you fit in this category) that is hard to mess up then read on.

 


Artisan Bread
 
3 c flour
1 t salt
1/4 t yeast
Mix together.
 
Add 1 1/2 c hot water and stir until combined. Use your hands to knead everything together into a ball. Place in a bowl, cover with a towel and let sit on the counter for 12-16 hours.
 
Dump out on a floured board and add additional flour until the dough is no longer goopy.
 
Add a bit of flour into the bowl it had been sitting in, put dough back in bowl and cover again with a towel. (this can be done a few minutes before backing or an hour or two)
 
Preheat Le Crueset (or whatever dutch oven you have) in oven to 425 degrees.
 
Once preheated, place the dough in the Le Crueset and bake, covered, for 30 minutes.
 
Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
 
Enjoy!! 
 
**This recipe loves to have spices, cheese, or herbs added to the dough. Simply sprinkle in your favorites when you blend all the ingredients and let me know if you find a real winning combo.**
 


Monday, August 25, 2014

Baby Girl Daydreams

This baby girl is coming in about 30 days....which makes me smile just to type. I cannot wait to have her here. These days my mind is on constant replay of what the day/night of her birth might be like. I envision holding her little body and seeing her perfect little face for the first time as I say in my heart to her "You are mine and I love you more than you ever will know".  For me those first few days have a magic to them that nothing else in life can touch.
   This Summer caught me off guard with the level of involvement it required. I didn't fill my calendar up with countless activities but the truth of growing up and having three children in this world just means life is full. It was full. It was lovely. Now school has started for two of my littles this past week so schedules have no potential of slowing down. Slow living and empty schedules satisfy me for a sliver of time, but if you know me well at all you know I thrive in the full.

 But I do have this baby coming.

I want to have slow time to just daydream about her, plan for her and ready myself for a new gift to be mama to.


   A laundry basket filled with the clothes my other girls have worn sits in the nursery closet waiting for me to find more baby hangers to hang them on. (anyone have a load of baby hangers they no longer want??) Often times with new babies coming the easiest way for me to feel "ready" for them or perhaps in touch with the reality that they will be in my arms soon, is to purchase items for them. I remember visiting Baby Gap right before Vera was born and buying a few little items that would be just for her. As I was washing the baby clothes I came across those items and smiled in remembrance. I like preparing for my babies. Getting our home ready to be their home. But this time around I feel flustered or disorganized or without the funds to fully prepare in the fashion I usually have. Part of me feels like, why do I need to spend money to get ready for a new baby....that sounds shallow and greedy. And part of me feels like, I want this baby girl to feel as planned for and thought about as my other three.....can't she have a few fresh items of her own?
    This morning I have already dropped my oldest babe off at school for the whole day. It still makes me teary if I think about it too long. I am sitting across from my current baby girl as she literally eats cream cheese from the tub with a butter knife as the robotic sounds of Mario Bros. is serenading us from the other room as my boy gets his game time on. This season is a good one. Soon I will face another new season and again adjust my sails to the new life and role I am called to. I fear change and welcome it in the same breath. Fear the unknown, grieve the past rhythms' beauty and welcome the new pattern and beat change brings me.
   Baby girl, if you ever read this please know that if you come home from the hospital in the same outfit that Vera did, or are wrapped in hand-me-down blankets for your whole infancy, my love for you is as fresh and soaked in delight as it has ever been for my babies! I have loved spending this slice of sweet morning daydreaming about you.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

School

                Two of my babes started school this week. Pregnancy hormones are helping no one.



 

 






 

 

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

The longings we face

  Part of my nighttime ritual involves filling my mind with Instagram images. It relaxes me, it inspires me and connects me to new worlds. Through the rabbit trails of Instagram I chanced upon a young woman's blog. The way in which she wrote made it impossible for me to stop clicking on the small glowing titles on my phone's screen. The content was common-parenting posts, recipe ideas-but how she wrote captured me.

  The more I devoured her every word the more I found myself aching to be gifted in crafting words. I tried to study her style. The way she wrote I didn't know was allowed with words, grammar and sentences.

 Words, written words, always make me feel limited. I fear being grammatically incorrect (and believe me I know that time and time again I am).  My high school English teacher had many words with me about my confusion with grammer. I blame it on being bumped up to advance placement at odd times that somehow made me leap frog past the basics, but in truth it probably is my lack of interest in the rules and structure of something so personal as writing. How can a creative outlet have rules? It defeats the very purpose of it right? (English majors everywhere are shouting NO NO NO-and I believe you) I think this insecurity with form caused me to fall in love with poetry's unstructured nature. I felt the freedom to say what I wanted in any manner I selected. Thoughts flowing-not in a capitalize the first letter and end with a period rigidness-but in an express what you want how you want format.  At times I wanted to use all lowercase because my mind reads capitalization with a stronger voice and having the gentle word of beating writing Beating made it sound off in my head from how I wanted it to. I loved poetry. I excelled in poetry. I felt secure within the boundaries and could then just write.

 I could sense this same feel of freedom as I read her brilliant writing. She was free. She was more herself, the limits enabled her form.

It made me feel small. Without a talent worth using.

 A silly thought indeed. Truthfully one I rarely battle. I like how I am wired and gifted. But that night I laid in bed with my small feeling self propped up on my left arm until it went all tingling and worn. My mind felt similar. Tingly with the thrill of interacting with such talent. Tingly with the endless avenues that were still left for me to discover in this field of written art. And worn.  Worn because I had so much I wanted for myself in that moment-and much of it would never be realized. I don't have a medium-a microphone as powerful.

  I wanted to roll out of bed, turn on the hall light and fill page upon page with lists of my desires in that very moment. Lists help steady me when excitement, inspiration, daunting tasks or flooding thoughts leave no room in my mind for anything else. But I battled the thought. Logically I needed sleep. At 34 weeks pregnant every moment of rest I could get needed to be used entirely. Nate would worry to wake and not find me next to him. As I laid there with my logic I heard a muffled cry.

 I sprang up to respond. Relieved to have a valid reason to rise. Sweet Vera had fallen out of her bed and sat huddled on the ground-not sure how to fix the problem herself. Just like me. Sitting stuck between sleep, dreaming, action and immobility. Just crying enough to be dealt with but not enough to stir anyone else. I scooped her up-thankful to have her little frame curved into mine. I held her-like He was holding me. Clarity deep and thick hit-This is enough for you because I chose it for you. "Equipped for every good work...." Let go of equipped for each fancy, every desire, this world so full of options....stick to the good work I called You to. I cried over the little blonde curls of a heavy hot body. Thankful that I always find my landing spot. Not because I am an expert flyer but because it all has been charted out for me....before I even had form.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Color Tattoo Eyeshadow by Maybelline

 
 

A quick, easy and inexpensive way to get ready in the morning. These Color Tattoos come in a variety of color options and stay on for a very long time. I use either my finger or a small fluffy brush to apply to my whole eyelid. I really like this color Bad to the Bronze and I use it as a base for eye shadows. I find it adds some welcome dimension and staying power throughout the day.


Any great priced makeup items you use?

Friday, August 15, 2014

Wearing Lately....

With only about 6 weeks to go until sweet baby #4 is here outfit options are getting slimmer by the day. Here is what I have been wearing lately.
 
 
 
 

Thursday, August 14, 2014

If you have to use it at least doll up the holder

I am a firm believer in storing every day items in beautiful vessels, or at least containers you enjoy viewing on an hourly basis. Why ever not? You use it daily and the simple act of thinking through what will hold it offers you countless avenues of adding beauty to your life.  I have a long way to go implementing this philosophy (some day I might tackle my pantry) but don't even realize how much the impact of the changes I have already made offers to my sanity.
milk in a cute pyrex vessel rather than the ugly plastic thing it comes in
Nespresso capsules in a tranquil piece of pottery made by my friend

toys stored in a large copper bin I didn't know what to use for, but loved

I have three of these and store berries in one, washi tape in another, bag clips in the last one  
a vintage train case (reminds me of my childhood) filled with cds and decorative banners

boring old diapers and wipes stored in one of my favorite old wooden boxes
What are you using to store every day items in? I would love to have some new ideas.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Current Favorite: Nail polish

 
 
I have a new favorite nail polish every day of the week because I am addicted to it. But right now, this one is pretty fabulous....and with the Fall coming (hate me if you will for saying that) I cannot wait to wear this all the time! Browns I think work really well on us pale girls.
 
 

Monday, August 11, 2014

Revlon Colorstay Foundation

I like this foundation a lot and have been using it for about 3 years. I own a number of high-end foundations and find myself always keeping this one in my rotation of use, it can hold its' own with the big girls! Here are a few reasons why.
 
1. Well priced
2. Easily available (CVS, Walgreens, Ulta)
3. Great color match to my fair, fair skin
4. Nice coverage while still allowing freckles to show through
5. Stays on a long time
6. Does not break me out
7. A little bit goes a long way
8. Nice feel both when applying and as you wear it...no face suffocation happening here.
 

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Lemonade the old fashion way

I found this Juice King beauty at a garage sale for $1. It was in wonderful shape and for whatever reason I have always wanted to have one in my kitchen. It makes me feel old fashion in the best sense.  Score for me. The kiddos and I enjoyed whipping up a few (very tart) lemonades that afternoon. This little juicer works amazingly well which only makes how adorable it is even better.
 

 
 
Cheers to Summer drinks and garage sale finds!

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Sundried Tomato Pesto

 
Super fast, super easy, super yummy.
All my children ate it.
Win.
 
Recipe here.
 
 











Thursday, August 7, 2014

Inside the sketchbook

   If you have a sketchbook or any place you doodle, sketch, or work on lettering then I want to see it. Seeing how other people fill pages when there is no agenda or end goal gives me endless inspiration and happiness. Even when work is incomplete I find it fascinating to see how each person's brain explores ideas. I often pour over pinterest, instagram and google images with the search word sketches or doodles. I especially do this when my own creative juices are running a bit dry. I have not been sketching much as of late-but have indeed been working out my creative addiction in other areas. I did want to share a glimpse into my sketchbook as of late. To be honest, I dislike the pages (minus a tiny image here or there) I have done recently....but if someone said that to me I would still plead with them to see inside. So here you are. And PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE if you sketch or doodle AT ALL share it with me!! You can either link to a blog post you do, or email me directly....I would so love it! I mean it.



I think one of the tiny images on this page I literally copied from someone's sketchbook, so if it was you..I am not trying to pretend I came up with it...it just is how I force myself to try new styles.

I love banners, but have a hard time creating them. I was trying my best here.

no, she has no arms....like I said...I was not planning on sharing this
PS: if you have children please get them sketchbooks...even if they are not at all artistically inclined at this point in their lives.
 


Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Current Favorite Kid Clothing: Misha Lulu

 
It is no secret I cannot get enough of the fashion brand Misha Lulu. Here are just a few reasons why.
 


If these items were hanging in my children's closets I would have quite a lot of fun! I like how their designs have a touch of quirk and vintage to them while remaining fresh and new. Someday I will bite the bullet and purchase a few of their items...but until then cheers to online closets:)
 
You can check
 out all their items here. The above images were taken from their website.