simple Analogy

September's Craft Along: Sidewalk Chalk

My favorite part of Mary Poppins is the sidewalk scene where Bert does chalk drawings and persuades Mary Poppins to take the children (and himself) for an outing in them.  Wouldn't it be a "jolly 'oliday" to be able to jump into your very own chalk drawings?   Maybe we can't work that magic, but we can make our very own chalk and create our own scenes on the sidewalk or driveway!

Supply list and directions can be found at Mad Maggie Designs. 

Approximate cost:  $5 - $10 depending on how many colors you make

My suggestions:

• Cover your chalk making station with a plastic table cloth or trash bags for easier clean up.
• Make sure to wear play clothes for this one.  Also if your kids like to go bare foot, keep a hose and towel handy to wash/dry their feet after the drawing session before heading back inside.
• I've heard that if you dip your chalk into a solution of sugar water it will make the colors brighter.
• One batch will make three pieces of chalk.  I filled my tubes about 3/4 full.
• Add more paint for richer colors.
• For those of you who have children that have issues with getting their hands messy, try this chalk paint version from Skip to My Lou. 
• Check out these fun ideas for your drawing session.
• This is the perfect time of year to do sidewalk chalk!  Enjoy the fresh air!

Since sidewalk chalk is not permanent, take lots of pictures of your sidewalk chalk drawings and post them to the Kid's Craft Along Flickr group!

Hatch. Need I Say More?

I could smell these peppers roasting the minute I got out of the car.  Noah and I made a special trip to HEB to buy their fresh roasted Hatch peppers.  I peeled, seeded, and packaged them for freezing.  We tried out one batch for Mom's birthday dinner.  They did not disappoint!

My version of stuffed Hatch peppers, which is really un-stuffed Hatch peppers:

4 chicken breasts

1/8 c olive oil

juice from 1 lime

salt/pepper

monterrey jack cheese, shredded

roasted Hatch peppers, chopped 

Marinate chicken breasts at least one hour in olive oil and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper and grill until cooked through.  During the last minute sprinkle chicken with shredded cheese and let melt.  Top with roasted Hatch peppers.

Thursday Date Nights Are Fine With Me

When we were in Colorado my grandma let me look through her fabric stash and take anything I thought I could use.  Yesterday I got out the stack I brought home and started playing around with some.  I'm really liking that blue wool on top.  So in the middle of my playtime Joel came home and said, "Surprise!  The boys are going to Mom's for the evening and we are going out!  Dinner and window shopping."

Landon and Noah:  "Window shopping?"  (with an incredulous look on their faces)

Joel:  "Yeah, girls like it."

It was his idea!  We went for fajitas and then stopped in at Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware.  Just window shopping...

Devotion

Devotion - loyalty and deep affection

Something about pearls and Vintaj... they go together so well.  Maybe it's that they both have a natural appeal or perhaps it's their old fashioned modern charm.  I don't know, but I am loving putting these two together.  You can expect more with this pair in the near future.

The Last Weekend Before

Our last weekend before we start school (and I do mean we, since we homeschool) went by so fast.  Friday I called my mom and we went for manicure/pedicures.  Mom surprised me by picking up some new magazines for us including Artful Blogging for me to read - one of my favorites.  I like reading about how others started blogging, adore the artwork, and pick up tips and ideas along the way.  We spent the day just hanging out and relaxing.

Saturday I woke up not feeling well and stayed in bed til 11:30!  After I got up and took a shower, I climbed right back into some fresh pajamas.  I rarely do an all day pajama day so it was a treat!  Joel picked up old movies and some pizza for dinner.  I love that man!

Sunday was a blur of church, brownies, and teenagers.  Joel and I hosted the back to school S.N.A.C. (Sunday Night After Church) for Landon's youth group.  I made 5 batches of Bakerella's brownies.  Landon says they were a hit with the teenagers, and several of the adults said they were their new favorite brownies.  I'm with them.  Why eat the others when these are so much better and just as easy!

So, today's the day . . . the official beginning of fifth and eighth grades.  Say a prayer for us!

P.S.  Thanks for your help!  It looks like the geometric bag is the winner.  The other will be in the shop tomorrow!

Eeny Meeny Mine-y

Megan gave me a new bag pattern before I left for vacation, and I've been itching to get to it.  This week I made two of them and now I can't make up my mind which one will be my new fall bag and which one will go in the shop.

The solid orange one is made out of soft velveteen with tan Del Hi lining.  I think it'd be perfect with a large brooch or flower pinned to it.  Classy, but casual at the same time.

The pattered one is made out of a geometric patterned canvas-y material with a gray striped lining.  Fun, fun, fun! 

Thanks to all who voted.  I'm keeping the geometric one!

When a Tomboy Asks for Girly Stuff

My sister was a tomboy.  One day my mom asked what she wanted to be when she grew up.  Tracy said something to the effect that she would like to be a Denver Bronco.  One of the cheerleaders?  Oh no!  She wanted to wear the shoulder pads like Steve Foley.  So when in about second or third grade she asked for perfume for her birthday, my mom about danced for joy.  She swooped us into the car and headed for Dillard's right then to fulfill that request before Tracy changed her mind.  When a tomboy asks for girly stuff you gotta jump on it! 

I called my sister-in-law the other day to get some ideas for what to get my soon to be 8 year old niece for her birthday.  In the past the recommendations were spy gear, a Harley Davidson jacket, nothing pink!!!  So I was astonished to hear that this year she wanted girl stuff.  Nothing in particular, just girl stuff.  She has her ears pierced, so I asked about heading that direction.  Yes, and dangly please!

I was sadly disappointed when I went to Claire's, which is where I used to get my little girl earrings.  Everything was so dumpy!  I mean half of the posts were bent, paint chipping off, and skulls everwhere.  I refuse to buy skulls!  Then I remembered - I make jewelry.  H-E-L-L-O!  What was I doing in here, when I could make something of much better quality and for just as much as it would cost me to buy some of this junk?

I made her a set of interchangeable sterling silver dangly earrings with her initials.  What 8 year old doesn't love their initials and love to have the power to choose the style of earrings for the day?  It's a win win!

Just Blathering

Things swirling around in my mind...

• The first thing the couple asked the contractor when they entered the house was, "Did you do the texture and the painting?"  His answer, "We did the texture; they did the painting."  Credit where credit was due.  I'm happy.  They loved the house and the painting.  Joel told them we were for hire, but that we didn't come cheap.  He was joking - I hope!

• Hobby Lobby is selling Vintaj now!!!!!!!!  Way too many exclamation points I know, but really this is exciting.  Michelle and Bev told me yesterday and then I saw it in the weekly email.  They have all their Vintaj on sale this week for 25% off!

• The mutilated box above was done by Landon and his new automatic AK-47 air soft gun.  I tell you that is one happy boy!

• Pulling an all day-er in the nursery is not that much fun.  Ah well...

• Sewing new bags is fun!  Soon to be revealed.

• Time to start easing the boys back into school year bed and wake up times.  Who am I kidding?  Time to ease myself back into them.

• I'm also trying to push myself into a regular exercise program.  Can't really ease myself into that one, but it's gotta be done.

• One last thing, that recipe for white sauce?  It's not green onions, it's green olives.  Sorry, but I fixed it!

A Piece of Muskogee

Ok, here's the Hamlin's white sauce recipe I promised - compliments of our friends Phil and Vicki who looked it up for me in the old church cookbook.  Thank you, because I don't think I could do with out it for that long again!

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup green olives, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 oz. Marie's Blue Cheese salad dressing

1 qt mayonnaise (DO NOT use Miracle Whip!)

Mix together, refrigerate overnight.  If too thick, thin with buttermilk.

Make sure you have a gi-nor-mous bag of tortilla chips to go along with!

It Must Be Done

It can't all be sewing and fun around here.  I clean my house every Friday.  Well, almost every Friday.  Most of the time it gets done in some form or fashion, but today is the Big Clean.  Our contractor is showing our house to some potential clients.  Ok, but will he take all the credit for the loveliness I call home, or will he tell them we worked like mad right alongside his people to make it this beautiful.   We'll see - and so we clean.