Butterflies Welcome!

Hello everyone.  I am the author of this blog, and I am a procrastinator!  (In my mind, I hear you all answering, "Hi, author!")

The more involved I become with this blog, the more I realize that it's helping me.  I do procrastinate and change plans & goals, frequently.  GUILTY!  And my spouse and my parents can confirm this factoid, if ever asked about it.  However, I like to put a nice spin on this problem quirkiness of mine and think that I'm overflowing with enthusiasm and ideas.  I simply lack some of the skills necessary for project completion, like sticking to a schedule and staying patient.  I want it all -- right now!  I don't have this problem when a project involves working with another person (i.e. homeschooling), but if I have no "date due" for my personal project goals and no one to show my work to, then I frequently leave things halfway done.  Now, I'm finishing my projects in a timely manner....thus far.

So, I'm very proud to show you the spring wreath hanging on our front door!  (And yes, it really is this house's door....my spouse and parents can confirm that too.  HA! HA!)  If you'd like to view the inspiration wreath again (I included it in yesterday's post.), click on the link below:

http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2011/03/guest-project-10-minute-easterspring.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FOivM+%28Tatertots+and+Jello%29



oval grapevine wreath



oval grapevine wreath...painted

 For painting the wreath, I chose Krylon indoor/outdoor, gloss-finish spray paint in Almond.  I thought of using white but liked this off-white a bit more.  After hanging the wreath, I realized that the "almond" color matches the paint on the porch rail.  It's crazy how colors imbed themselves into your subconcious mind.




Springtime is here!
I've got the wreath to prove it!




I even dressed up Madame Butterfly for the season, adding a twine bow.

 I'm quite pleased with the result and happy to say that this project cost a total of $15.50 (excluding the spray paint and twine, which I already had).  Perhaps you're thinking that's too expensive for something like this, but I feel triumphant in having spent so little.

So, all you butterflies coming my way, please know that you're welcome in this yard...

Have a restful and Supremely blessed weekend!

Taken over by a whole bunch of UGLY!

Happy Spring to Everyone!!  I'm seeing buds on the trees in the backyard and the beginning of April moving ever closer on my calendar.  I always think I know which season is my favorite, and it's definitely spring!  Well, it's spring until I long to see the changing of the leaves and toothy pumpkin grins; then, my favorite is fall!  Until I get anxious to decorate the Christmas tree and wrap gifts; then it's....well, you get what I'm saying.  BUT, for now, I'm all about getting away from these March winds.  I want gentle April showers and fragrant May flowers!  Hello Springtime...where ya' been all winter?

Okay, now it's down to business.  I need to get a monkey off of my back and confess to wasting lots of craft time over the last week and a half.  I love and despise Netflix for putting all four seasons of Ugly Betty into the "watch instantly" list!  I never saw more than the first few episodes of season one, so I've been consumed with a whole bunch of UGLY...Betty, that is.  What a frivolous waste of time; I loved every minute of it!  However, as good as the series was, I was really disappointed with the ending.  I know that some enjoy seeing the potential of a blossoming relationship joined with an open ended story.  But, I'm not like that!  I really liked these characters, and I wanted solid closure in all of their stories.  Give me my fairy-tale ending, especially if it involves two of the most important characters.  To those of you who also watched "Betty", what did you think?

To make up for my lack of crafting anything (other than the dent in my sofa cushions), I used an idea that I've seen popping up all over blogs & link parties to make a new calendar.  Crafters are taking picture frames and placing grid covered inserts into them.  The grids are created using fabric and/or paper.  Next, they're adding cute embellishments; I've seen flowers, initials, ruffles, lace, etc.  Once it's put it together, use a dry erase marker to fill in the details.  So cute, right?  Yeah, I thought so too, so I made one.  I used 12x12 scrapbooking papers and a 12x12 scrapbooking frame for my project.  I embellished with layered flowers of tulle, felt, & paper and with mini heart-shaped metal brads.  I really like my calendar, but my grid squares are on the small side.  So, I either need to make a larger one, learn to write a whole lot smaller, or find a supremely fine-tipped marker!  You'll see what I mean....

To view another of these calendars, visit this link:

http://lindycottagehill.blogspot.com/2011/01/dry-erase-calendar-wall-art.html

Now, thinking back to my eagerness for all things "springy" and adding that to my need to create another quick and easy project, I'll soon post pictures of a new wreath I'm making for the front door.  I bought supplies today and placed it on tomorrow's to-do list.  This wreath featured on Tatertots and Jello inspired me:

http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2011/03/guest-project-10-minute-easterspring.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FOivM+%28Tatertots+and+Jello%29

I went to Hobby Lobby for supplies and found a really neat oval-shaped grapevine wreath.  I also picked up some blue, white, and yellow flowers and a paper butterfly from the gift wrap section, just as the original crafter stated she had done.  Before I add the decorations to the wreath, I want to spray the wreath with a little bit of paint.  The front door is a dark color, so the grapevine would disappear into the background.  I want all parts of this wreath to be visible.  So, please check back tomorrow or Saturday for the wreath reveal.

In closing, I want to send all my love to my Father.  I hope you have a wonderful birthday and treat yourself to a nice dinner.  (And, no, Dad....Neither Taco Cabana nor Cotton Patch count this time!)  Seriously though, I love you!  And I hope you enjoy your gift from us; we're sending you the rest of our "rainbow jello"----Yummy!

Have a blessed day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to All!

I hope that you remembered to put on your green today!

Spring Break is in full bloom here in Iowa, and I've been vacationing along with the kiddies.  I apologize for taking my time in writing to you all again, but this week has been loads of fun....

Monday was a rest day.  Tuesday was so sunny and warm that we played at the park.  Wednesday included a trip to the children's museum to see an insect zoo.  My laddy held a green tomato worm, just like the ones that were eaten on Fear Factor, and the worm pooped while crawling on the boy's fingers!  My laddy screamed like a lassy and dropped the poor worm ASAP!  So funny!  Today is all about "rainbow jello".  (More on that in a moment.)  Tomorrow, it's back to the museum for a program on everything that is gross.  Seriously, if it makes you say, "eeeeww," then it's part of the show.  And, Saturday takes us back to the pool.

Today, we found a rainbow in our refrigerator!  It did not lead the children to any gold, but as I served them a slice of the striped snack, I found my treasure in their smiles and excitement.  While scrolling through a link party, I found a new recipe shared by Funky Polkadot Giraffe.

http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/2011/02/happiness-rainbow-jell-o.html

I've made rainbow jello before, but not with the milk layers.  I love the addition of these layers, because the colors are easier to see.  Last year, we made rainbows in a glass.  To see the rainbows, we had to hold our glasses up to a light source.  Not this time!

My layers aren't perfectly proportioned, but it tastes really good.  You can also see that the purple layer sticks to the dish, just a bit.  Next time, I'll lightly coat the dish with a non-stick spray.  (Paula Deen does it to her jello molds, so it must be a fabulous tip to remember.)  Next time, I'll also cut the recipe in half.  We love rainbow jello, but I know that we don't need this much!

Once again, I hope you had an enjoyable "wearin' of the green."  But if you forgot and were pinched, then bring your sore arms over here.  We'll throw some jello on them to soothe the pain!

Have a blessed day!

The Girl in the Green Shirt....

Hello All,

I hope your weekend was lots of fun; ours was!  The kiddoes had their first swim lesson at the Y.  They had a great time!  True to form, my bold daughter jumped right into the water.  The boy is more like his mother.  Dips one toe at a time and tries to keep his head above the water.  Both are excited about going again, so swim lessons are a success.

I mixed up some Banana Salsa this past weekend, but could hardly eat any.  I used two of the hottest serrano peppers I've ever come by!  I couldn't take a bite without following it with some hiccups.  I made a few substitutions that I'd like to share.  My kids and I were curious about red bananas, so we bought a few to taste.  (They taste just like yellow bananas to me.)  I had two left and used them in the salsa.  I followed the advice I gave to my Mom and used mint instead of cilantro.  I love cilantro.  I wanted cilantro.  But, the cilantro in the stores looked less than fresh.  The mint smelled wonderful, and I liked it very much.  Lastly, I substituted agave nectar for the brown sugar.  I planned to omit the sugar, but I over-salted the salsa and needed to cut it with some sweetness.  Agave to the rescue!  If any of you made salsa, please leave a comment and share your thoughts, substitutions, etc.

Thank you to my amazing sister-in-law in Seattle!  You are the first to leave a comment for me, and I greatly appreciate your participation!  You are a star!  I love your frugality too.  I also freeze overripe bananas, but unlike you, don't use them often enough.  Thus, my AH (Adorable Husband) complains about the overload of bananas in the freezer.  In Alaska, I could give those bananas to a friend who would turn them into banana bread for us to share.  MMMmmm, banana bread....I really miss her, a lot!

Now onto something new and exciting....I'm posting my first creation!  I will be "the girl in the green shirt", not to be confused with Ms. Becky Bloomwood and her scarf.  (Shopaholic readers, you know the reference.)  Anyway, I found a tutorial for a beautiful ruffled shirt at Tea Rose Home.  (http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorialruffle-shirt.html)  I'm inexperienced with sewing, but I really wanted to try it.  Like Sachiko, I found clearanced shirts.  (Though it's March, the green color is a coincidence.)  I bought three shirts: one to wear and two to cut up.  I printed the tutorial and got to cuttin'.  This is the first time I've made ruffles, but as I can sew in a straight line, it was actually easy.  When I started to fit the ruffles around the neck, I realized that I needed to widen it.  I took a few measurements and cut more of a boat neck, matching the original design.  I pinned, stitched, ruffled, and created a new shirt for springtime.  Here it is:



green shirt ~ BEFORE ~ blaahh!

 



green shirt ~ AFTER ~ aaahhh!

 


cascading ruffles




rosettes



neck ruffle


So there you have it....my very own Tea Rose Home ruffle shirt in green.  I realize that the photos are a little fuzzy, and I apologize for that.  I'll try to take better photos in the future.  Now, I want to leave you with a little teaser.  My next project will include these fabrics!  Can you guess the recipient?  Of course, you can; it's my little lassy.  One final tidbit: this creation will include piecing fabrics together.  Any guesses?  Well, start thinking and have a blessed day!

 

Sharing is Caring!

While reading through the March 2011 issue of Health magazine, I found two intriguing recipes and thought it would be fun to share them with you.  I look forward to trying them, and if you do too, I want to know your opinions of them.

The one-page article tells about bananas.  It states, "Everyone's fave yellow fruit is a stay-slim superfood."  (p. 82 or Health.com)  Isn't that fantastic news?  Who doesn't love bananas?  The two recipes that grabbed my attention are:  Banana Salsa & Coffee and Banana Smoothie.

Banana Salsa
Mix together 2 diced peeled bananas, 2 tablespoons minced red onion, 1 tablespoon minced cilantro, 1 teaspoon minced serrano or jalapeno pepper, juice of 1 lime, and brown sugar and salt to taste.

Incredibly, the recipe states that you can top fish, pork or chicken (usually tacos) with this salsa.  So, I'm anxious to know, who's brave enough to put bananas on their fish?  I double dare you!!  --And Mom, I'm certain that you could substitute another fresh herb for the cilantro....be bold and try mint.

Coffee and Banana Smoothie
Put 1 sliced peeled banana, 1 cup low-fat milk, 1/2 cup cold black coffee, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1/2 cup ice in a blender.  Blend until smooth, pour and enjoy.

No suggestions were given for pouring this over meats, so I know that we're all breathing a sigh of relief for that.  Hooray!

Here's one of those amazing craft blogs you need to see.  The blogger at "No Big Dill" invited awesomely talented guest crafters to design and post projects throughout March.  The theme is Once Upon A Thread.  Each crafter chooses a beloved children's book and creates a project based on the book.  I know this intrigues you mothers, grandmothers, and former school teachers, as it did me!  March has just begun, so check it out!

http://thedillspiel.blogspot.com/

Now, for news from our homefront.  This Saturday, my kiddoes begin swim lessons.  They're so excited, as are Mom and Dad.  I will be able to relax a bit this summer knowing that they'll have more experience in the water.  This past summer, my fearless daughter jumped into the pool before Dad was in there waiting for her.  My heart skipped beats, but Dad easily and quickly got to her.  She climbed out, turned around, and jumped right back in, all while grinning like a goon.  She's just like her father!  He has a goony grin too.  Just kidding Honey!  You have a lovely smile!  So, after the lesson, I'll share about it.

Time to get back to domestic duties and finish my grocery list.  I'm going to add bananas, peppers, and limes;  already have fish.  Just kidding!  I'll think of another food to go under the salsa, but I do hope someone has the courage to eat that combination and tell about it.  Have another blessed day!

There's a new kid on the blog!

Hey!  Momma's got a brand new blog!

I feel that this moment should be accompanied by a blast of Motown brass, and I know that I could add "said music" after finding some instructions in the edition of Blogging for Dummies I've borrowed from the library.  However, this blog will encourage reader-participation, so please go on hearing that James Brown classic in your head, or you could hum it.  Your choice!

Following that build-up, I should probably share some mind-blowing revelations about this endeavor...am I right?  Well, not this time.  (hee, hee)  Instead, I'll write about my humble plans for this project.  As you may have guessed by the subtitle, I want to share my crafting-prowess (I think it's called being 'artsy-fartsy') with you.  I've so greatly enjoyed touring others' craft blogs, and I've thought that exceptionally girly and childlike thought, "I want one too!".  Who wants to be left out of this kind of fun?  Not I!

My adorable husband supports this undertaking because this blog is the one and only free thing about my participation.  Yeah, right!  I've already made two trips to Goodwill stores and four others to JoAnns.  In my defense, I found exceptional bargains at Goodwill, like a thesaurus for eighty-eight cents and a desk chair for $4.38, and I always shop with coupons at JoAnns.  (Fellow Craft Mavens -- You know what I'm talking about!)  Anyway, my AH (Adorable Husband) fully desires me to explore the treasure trove of materials that fill our basement closet as I create my "crafterpieces".  (Aside:  I personally gag every time the media creates a mash-up of celebrities' names or of two other words, eg. "Brangelina", "Gleek", "Tomkat".  Witty as these concoctions may be, do we really need more of them?  However, in the interest of making my blog more appealling to readers, I will include current trends.  So, my homage to this wordplay is the mash-up of 'craft' and 'masterpieces'.  And I absolutely recognize that I'm probably not the first to think of it.)  Back to my packrat tendencies...I know that I need to use and/or purge with some things, and I will do that.  However, it's inevitable that as soon as something is passed on, I'll have an epiphany and need it...badly!  Many of you understand this dilemma.  You suffer through the same deliberations.  I know that I can't keep everything, and I never want my storage spaces to resemble an episode of Hoarders, but until I'm completely sure that I cannot make something lovely with my treasured backstock, it will stay.

This blog, like all others, is a work in progress.  I plan to add many more elements as soon as I understand what they do, decide if they fit my purposes, and customize them to my tastes.  I definitely want to add links to share the amazing creations I've seen made by those with even more crafting superpowers.  You'll 'ooh! & aah!', just like I did.  Seriously!  My biggest goal is to summon the courage to link some of my finished projects to other crafters' blogs.  It's essentially a 'show & tell' moment, and linking is the pathway to membership in this crafting community.  Deep breaths...fingers crossed!

I hope that many of you will read along.  I also hope that you will post comments by clicking on the word 'comments' at the end of this post.  Feedback is always encouraging and helpful.  Besides, you may be the one who shares the exceptionally brilliant idea that helps me when I need a better solution!  And, I promise, to the best of my ability, to always weave in some optimistic humor while describing my attempts at ingenious crafting.  It's the only method of weaving that I can do....for now.  (See, see, optimistic humor.  I'm already making good on my promises.  Don't you love that in a blog?)  I'll be sharing again really soon, so please add me to your internet favorites!  Have a blessed day!