Coffee filter flowers.

I was cleaning out the cupboard and came across some coffee filters.  We don't really need coffee filters these days, not since the Keurig came into our lives (love that machine). 

I've seen all sorts of paper flowers made out of coffee filters on various crafty blogs.  But lots of them required cutting petals and wiring and some other stuff I wasn't in the mood to bother with.  So instead, I just started smooshing. 

Guess what?  It totally works well enough for my purposes (in that it sort of looks like a flower).  So much so that the next thing I know, the older boys are clamoring to make a couple.  Love that.  And to Charlie who is checking in from work to see what his boys are up to--because his trial is still going and he hasn't seen them in days--yes honey, they are making paper flowers.  You should come home now before we move on to making lip gloss.

The how-to, though it's pretty self explanatory:

Find a stack of filters--I used about five for each bloom.

 Cut off the bottoms...

 Smoosh, smoosh, smoosh...

Place filters inside one another, continuing to smoosh and adjust, until you like how your flower looks.  Continue to say smoosh because you like how that word sounds...

I twisted the bottoms and used some floral tape I have on hand.  But a twist tie or regular tape would work just as well. 

We decided to paint ours with water colors--again, because it's what we had out and we're all about spontaneous crafting around here.  We found that the colors go on pretty stark, so after we painted the flowers, I completely drenched them under the faucet, then gently squeezed out the excess water and laid them out to dry.  Getting them wet really made the water colors blend nicely.  Next time, however, I think I'll let the boys paint the filters while they are flat and then build the flowers with the colored paper--we may like those results more.

After the flowers dried and we fluffed up the petals a bit, the boys were very happy with their creations, as was I considering the ease of the process.  These will top some packages we're sending out.  I think we'll add some felt leaves and they'll be good to go.

Leo's...

Max's...

and mine...

I have a few foam wreath forms and think they would look lovely with mounds of these affixed.  Hmm, I guess we need more coffee filters after all.

More burpers and laptime sewing.

More burpers for a sweet baby Charlotte:

I have several more sets to make--one for a charity auction that close friends are organizing, and two more sets for friends.  I'm thinking about switching from embellishing cloth diapers to constructing the entire burper myself.  I have a ton of fabric odds and ends that would make cute patchwork burpers.

Whenever I use my machine to embroider, Will is fascinated as the machine whirrs and stitches, seemingly, by magic.  He insists on crawling up on the chair for a better looksee/grabsee, so I have to pull it away from the table.  Which makes him screech and makes it loads of fun.  To appease him, and because I'm a big ole softie whenever I see tears on his chubber cheeks, I decided to see what I could make with him on my lap.  Results?  Lopsided scrappy heart hangtags for Valentine's Day packages--we decorate cookies every year.  The cards were inspired by Dana over at Made.  Hers are so lovely.  I think I'll try this again without a 22-month old on my lap.  Though I did get a sweet hug from Will during our crafting.  Until it was over, that is, and the protest by screeching resumed.

Since Charlie is still working up a storm, I have more time than normal in the evening for crafting.  I look forward to Craft Hope opening up for donations again as I'd like to donate something.  Be sure to check out their site and read about their amazing efforts--and also shop the Craft Hope Etsy shop (all items are donated by crafters and 100% of the proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders). 

 

Before I forget.

That's how I start so many sentences these days--Charlie comes in from work and I say hello and then launch into my "before I forget..." dump.  And when any of my girlfriends call, I run around the house looking for my post-it notes to rattle off questions and thoughts that I previously scribbled down.  It's always a jumble of topics with no natural flow whatsoever--such a disjointed way to interact with those closest to me, I know.  But I think they're used to it.  

And so, before I forget...

I wanted to mention swagbucks again.  I have a blurb on my 'stuff I love' page but if you still haven't checked it out, I think you should.  It's a search engine that randomly gives you points when you search and then you cash in the points for rewards (like gift cards).  Having referrals really helps as you earn a point for the first 100 search points each referral earns.  So after you sign up, be sure to invite your friends and family.  But you don't need a ton of referrals to make it worth it --I only have a handful (btw, thank you if you signed up under my link!) and so far, I've "earned" $75 in giftcards from Amazon just from searching the internet as I normally would.  Here's my  referral link in case you're so inclined:

Also wanted to mention my new favorite online shop where I source most of my cupcake and cookie decorating supplies.  It's called Bake It Pretty and I could quite easily spend a fortune on the baking liners alone--there is zero chance I won't be making raspberry or red velvet cupcakes in the pink zebra liners for Valentine's Day.

Well, that is if I don't fall for the polka dot ones first.  They would match all the Boden spotty prints I perennially sport.  I am not kidding--I think I have shoes or a t-shirt or a cardi to match each of these designs.  Though I think it would be weird if I matched my baked goods. 

Bake It Pretty also carries my favorite melting wafers by Mercken and they have the candy writers--those things are the best!  You just heat them in the microwave for a few seconds and you're ready to go.  Perfect when you need just a few Christmas tree toppers or butterfly antennas or whatever. 

Okay, I think that's it for now.  But just so you know, I now have a post-it note floating around here somewhere for this blog too, so this post topic will be back...

 

Quickie upcycled craft, winetag.

We live in a neighborhood filled with great families.  The kind of folks you would choose to live by if you could, somehow, choose your neighbors.  (And by the way, I know I'm constantly gushing on and on about my family, my in-laws, my friends, my folks, now this...but, sorry, nice people abound in my life.  And it's good because it makes me try to be a better person to deserve them.)

It is not at all uncommon for the phone to ring on Saturday morning with a casual invite from this or that household, asking if we are free for supper later that day.  Somehow the invite always seems to fall on a day that I could especially use a night off from cooking. "Bring the kids" they'll say, knowing that a babysitter can wreck our solo-income budget. 

We try to reciprocate hosting but are way, way, behind.  And because I know our various neighbors well enough to know (and appreciate) that they will continue to have us over many more times before we could ever settle the score, I wanted to have some wine tags ready--we try to at least bring over some decent wine...and a dessert, too, if I'm allowed.

I found some hang tags in my stash of things to upcycle--I think they came off of some flip flops from last year.  I thought they were super cute so I mod podged some decorative paper to the backs and brushed on a few layers of chalkboard paint on the fronts.  There.  Done.  Quick, easy, no fuss allowed--just like these neighborhood dinners.  And as an added bonus, the tag can be wiped clean and reused by our neighbors when they're inevitably invited up the street...

 

And then there were two...well, almost.

Okay, make that two minus a bite because that stinker Leo did some damage when I wasn't looking.  I cannot believe that I made this batch of muffins yesterday...that would be a dozen...in the evening...and this is all we have left.  They were supposed to last the week!

I used my "muffin mix" recipe I told you about but this time, instead of the cup of plain yogurt, I used a single serve container of all natural vanilla yogurt plus a couple of dollops of sour cream (because the single serving of yogurt was only 6 oz and the recipe calls for a cup).  I also used a couple of handfuls of cranberries.  It might be our new favorite combo...

No-time-for-fancy cake bars.

We're headed to a dinner playdate later today and I wanted to bring a treat.  But Fridays are my day to get the house ready for the weekend, so I didn't have much time to spare.  I try to get all the laundry and cleaning done for the week so that we don't have to spend the weekend doing (or ignoring) chores.  Weekends are for having Charlie and Max home and with us all day--though Charlie is extremely busy at work right now and has had to work most weekends.  I try not to complain as it's important work he's doing and it's not like we don't get to see him at all.  But we miss him very much.  My heart really goes out to those of you with loved ones deployed or otherwise afar--I don't know how you do it. 

And speaking of heavy hearts, I think we are all struggling with emotions right now amidst this unbelievable world tragedy in Haiti.  The important thing, I think, is to do something, anything, and not feel small, insignificant or otherwise powerless.  One of our neighbors is organizing a clothes drive so our family will start there and figure out other ways to help and donate.

When I'm stressed or otherwise cannot make sense of things, I often turn to baking...another reason I wanted to make something today.  Due to holiday sales last month, cake mix was nearly free so I loaded up, even though I prefer to make cake from scratch when possible.  Plus, we have three spring birthdays coming up and after last year's cake fiasco, this year this mama may not try to do everything homemade!

Wow.  That sure was a long way to introduce my most recent cake-mix base recipe that I wanted to share.  I tweaked it until I was happy--happy being a quick, fuss free, cake-like bar that can handle any add-in you choose.   

Cake mix cake bars

1 box yellow cake mix

1 large egg + 1 egg white

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup mix-in (I used semi chocolate chips this go)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom only of 9x13 pan.
• Mix cake mix, butter, egg, egg white, milk and vanilla in a large bowl--no need for a mixer, I just use a wooden spoon.  Stir in mix-in.  Mixture will be thick.
• Spread evenly into pan.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Best if allowed to cool completely for an hour before cutting.

Hide the plate, else figure out a way to say no to this:

And because I do not want to leave you feeling as if I have not smiled much these past few days, here are a couple of images of things this week that made me warm and happy.

Max casually reading his brother's library book to him...

And William taking over a laundry basket to set up a comfy lounger--yet still not letting anyone else sit in "his" toddler sized chair and ottoman...

Supercook.

I don't think I live under a rock.  And I think I get out quite a bit, thank you very much.  But somehow I missed this recipe search site that everyone else seems to already know about.

In case it's new to you, too, let me tell you that it's aptly named--it does indeed come to the rescue.  How?  By letting you search several recipe sites at once by...get this...the ingredients you have on hand.  Brilliant, right?

Som Tum (green papaya salad with chilies and lime).

This post is about a family recipe that I pull out consistently when we need to lighten up our plates, which is right about now courtesy of the steady supply of goodie tins from our wonderful neighbors over the holidays.  Have you ever had, or even heard of, the Thai dish called Som Tum?  It's a green papaya salad.  And more importantly, it is light and adaptable and I swear it does something magical to waistlines (just in case you consumed your body weight in chocolate like I did).

I make som tum often for my lunch because I think it's a cinch to throw together.  But I recognize that this is largely due to the countless nearby Asian marts, where I go to buy bags and bags of pre shredded green papaya.  I also have the necessary supplies such as a large, heavy mortar and pestle handy (but if you don't, don't worry, I give you some tips on how to get around it).  If you cannot find pre shredded papaya, you might find an entire green papaya at a large grocery store.  If you buy a whole one, you will need to peel it and shred the flesh--I use a grooved peeler in order to get nice long shreds but in a pinch, you could use a grater (your shreds will just be shorter).

There are countless ways to make som tum, depending on the region from which the recipe hails.  You can add bits of dried shrimp (if you want it briney), or green beans or tomotoes...throw in whatever you want, it is a salad after all.  But I'm going to tell you how I like to make it, which is pretty traditional with one twist--the addition of roasted peanuts.

Som Tum

Ingredients

1-2 (depending on how hot you like it) fresh chilies, serranos are fine

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 shallot, chopped

2 cups of finely shredded green papaya (about 1 small papaya...in a pinch you can substitute 1 cup cabbage and 1 cup carrot, both finely shredded.  You'll get a similar flavor profile but you'll be on an unauthentic path so don't tell my Thai mother)

1-1 1/2 teaspoon sugar (palm sugar would be even better if you have it)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

the juice from 1-2 limes (sorry I can't be precise--start with 1/2 and keep adding until you're happy, then make a note of it.  I usually use about 1 and 1/2 small limes, but I like it sour).

a handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

1/2 cup salted, dry roasted peanuts

Directions

Place the peanuts in the bowl of a large, heavy mortar (see note below if you don't have one), and lightly pound to break up the peanuts.  Set aside.  Place the garlic, shallot, and peppers in the mortar and pound and grind until they break down (but not so much they become mushy), scraping down the sides as needed.  Add the shredded papaya a handful at a time, pounding after each addition, until the papaya shreds become limp and soft (3-5 minutes), scraping and mixing as necessary. 

Add the sugar, salt, and fish sauce, pounding a little after each addition.

Add the lime juice and quartered tomatoes, pounding gently.

Taste the "dressing" in the bottom of the mortar and adjust to taste.  You're going for the quintessential balance of Thai flavors--typically, equal parts sour, hot, salty, and sweet, but just adjust it until you're happy.  I like mine heavy on the sour note. 

To serve, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the salad to a plate and drizzle with some of the remaining sauce.  Garnish with the crushed peanuts.  This serves about 4 for an appetizer or 2 for a decent lunch portion.

Note:  my good friend reports that she has made this salad without a mortar by placing the ingredients in a gallon size heavy-duty ziploc and pounding with a rolling pin.  Sounds good to me, but again, do not tell my mother. 

Resolutions.

I don't usually make official New Year's resolutions.  But this year I thought I'd make a few.

1.  Get into better cardio shape.  This will hopefully happen from running training because I signed up for the Marine Corps half marathon.  I am not a runner by any means.  In truth, I sort of dislike it.  But my friend Hallie, who is a triathelete, says she'll come in from California to run it with me.  And Charlie and another good friend run it every year--so there should be plenty of hands on deck to drag me over the finish.  I really need to get going on, okay start, my training.

2.  Bring in some pretty.  This goes beyond my appearance--though considering the surprised reaction I got from some folks on New Year's Eve when I actually brushed my hair and put on a dress, maybe I should start there.  But really I'm talking about my surroundings.  It's nice to live in pretty spaces so I am determined to finally finish decorating our master bedroom and the boys' rooms.  There are so many great design blogs out there for inspiration.  One I like everything about is Little Green Notebook.

3.  Finding time to sew for myself.  All of the refashion tutorials out there are making me crazy.  I want to try this, this, and this, plus loads more.  I cannot donate a single ill fitting blouse or stained tee because I have a ton of ideas in my mind!  Also, just about every item I'm swooning over in the Anthropologie catalogue has a handmade-looking embellishment to it...so I want to try some "inspired" pieces--that sounds better than knock-off, I think.   I can only hope my homesewn garments will look better than the drop waisted tank dress I made in 11th grade home ec--if I recall correctly, it was a hot pink cotton print with mini yellow flowers.  It was passable but only because I wore it with my best Forenza belt.  I really wish I'd kept that belt--it is very on trend right now.  Though isn't there a rule that if a trend laps you, you're too old to wear it again?  I need to check that.  Happy Friday!



Bucilla.

Right about now, during the clean up from massive merriment, I'm pretty much ready to put away the Christmas things until next year.  But there is one item that I usually keep out and move to my sewing room--Max's stocking. 

It is made from a Bucilla kit and it took me quite a bit of time to finish.  I absolutely adore it.  Once I finally hung it on the mantle, Charlie asked, "are you actually going to let Max touch it?"  Hmmmph.  Charlie had sat on the couch next to me for countless nights as I toiled away during TV time, so I guess it's not a silly question.  But of course Max is allowed to touch it.  Carefully.  And of course he'll eventually get it.  When he's married and has a wife who will take care of it. 

I don't put the stocking away for a few reasons.  One, it extends the season a bit, not too much, but just enough.  Also, I want to back it with something more substantial than the flimsy felt that came with the kit.  There is a better chance of this happening if it's out and about (though this strategy has yet to actually work).  And last, hopefully seeing it will motivate me to get going on Leo's stocking.  He has patiently waited and pretended to like his Target stocking just as much as Max's "fancy" stocking for the last two years.  It's pretty pitiful, actually, and he really deserves his own.  And of course there's also Will's.  And maybe, maybe, one for Charlie and myself.  But frankly ours are holding strong in the eventually column.

Have you ever seen a Bucilla kit?  My best friend from childhood got me hooked as she had one growing up, made by a crafty aunt.  And even then, when most high-school girls aren't too impressed by such things, I coveted it very much.  In case you're inclined to give it a go, here is a shot of Leo's kit.  It can be pretty daunting when you get this pile of...stuff...unless you know what you're getting into--and I remember searching the web for info about it with no luck a couple of years ago.

I also remember dumping out Max's kit and muttering something not too very Christmas-y.  *I know I mentioned I cursed during my recent Christmas quilt-a-thon, too, so I feel the need to point out that I actually hardly ever curse (married a Marine--he does it for me), but there are exceptions. 

The stockings I picked were designed for Bucilla by Mary Engelbreit, which surprised me.  Because although I do think her stuff is darling, it's usually not quite my style.  I'm fickle in that I like country stuff but only in certain ways and in little doses.  And it's really more cottage style that I like, think weathered wood, rustic...simple.  My mother sometimes tries to pick up things for me thinking I'll like it because it's "country" but I tell her, "no, that's country chicken and I don't like country chicken."  Unfortunately no one really understands what I'm trying to distinguish between so I sometimes end up with gifts with miniature feed sacks in them. 

Okay, back to little Ms. Mary.  Even though I typically don't go for her stuff, I absolutely flipped over the folksy feel of this kit.  With most Bucilla stockings, you do a lot of detail with sequins and beads.  But with the Engelbreit-designed kits, it's all in the stitching.  For instance, the very first bit of embellishment I did was on Santa's boot--two colors of thread twisted to make a candy-cane effect for his laces.  And all of the trim on Santa's coat was embroidered...in fact, just about everything is embroidered versus beaded.  Here is a close up of Santa's coat and boots...

and the snow-child's cap...

Oh, and let's not forget the cute dimensional work from the design--the snow-child in Santa's arms is a little stuffie you make then tuck into his arms...

Here is what Leo's stocking will (eventually) look like.  It's another Mary Engelbreit design--wish me luck!