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the dime-store cowboy dance.

Sometimes we like to hit all of those western wear shops. You know, smell the leather, look at the lassos-- try on all of the:

We always pick out our favorite pair of boots, or what we would wear if we were really cowboys. I always gravitate toward the fringe. "A cowgirl has gotta have fringe!" I say.
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The workers in the store give us questionable looks as we wander around. They've seen our type before. "Those dang city slickers!" They say.
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Then we talk about what we would have on our ranch. Horses and cows are a must. The boys throw in ideas like bunnies and cats. "Nobody likes herding cats!" I say.
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We try out the chaps, the lassos, and the spurs. Wouldn't it be fun to ride the range?
But, I don't think we will every really be cowboys. The best we could be is a dime-store cowboy. I would never want to risk getting cow poop on my fringy pink cowgirl boots. It sure is fun to pretend though.

New Zealand on a stick.

So, my obsession with dipping things in chocolate has landed me here:

It's the perfect shape for a pop, right? And wow! That spring green against the chocolate, what a perfect color combo. I think I'm in love.

My family loved when I pulled these out after dinner, a perfect little bite on a stick. (Because, everything is better on a stick!) The kiwi and chocolate go great together, a delightful refreshment for spring.

the day my sweater became my best friend.

Sometimes, I can be an odd person. I understand that. I accept that.
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I mean, I don't buy accessories off of the shelf. I like to make them on my own-- an electric blue ric rac flower brooch to match my electric blue church skirt. A pair of ruby red button earrings to match my new shirt. It's become my "thing" to constantly find new tidbits to make my baubles and bangles, pins and clips.
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In fact, I've been known to put on an outfit and not have an accessory anywhere to match-- so I'm in my craft room, stitching one up. I'll yell out "5 more minutes" to keep the troops at bay while I am furiously stitching. Stitch, stitch, stitch... "5 more minutes, I promise!"
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My vintage yellow sweater has been begging me for a while. She needs a pretty little something to cover up the pretty little stain that I didn't notice until I brought her home. A whopping 10 cents at a garage sale over 14 years ago, and I have still never addressed the stain. Well, I've tried washing it out multiple times-- but after 14 years with me, it's never been able to find a way out. So, I'm going to cover it. With:


I was perusing the craft store the other day and happened upon those great fabric button covers that I used to make earrings last month. Remember those? Well, I bypassed the smaller ones and stocked up on the:

I was certain that I would be able to come up with a way to use them! I let them sit on top of my book shelf and thought about the possibilities.
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It wasn't until after my little yellow sweater screamed at me in the mirror one morning that I came up with a plan. I grabbed my huge button covers, my little yellow sweater, and went through my sewing stash. I decided to design something that replicated a grand prize ribbon... you know, the kind that you would win at the county fair? I picked out a turquoise and yellow 1930's fabric, and some other:

After I covered the button, I cut some felt... excuse the glitter suspended inside. It was leftover from making Christmas ornaments 4 years ago. Finally, the perfect excuse to use it up! I love felt. It is the base for so many of my crafts. In fact, my mantra for the day has become:

I opened up the bias tape, and started to stitch.

Ruffles, ruffles, everywhere!

I kept those ruffles coming! Three rows of pure ruffle-ness. It was heaven.

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When I was finished, I sewed on my extra large button, and pinned it on my sweater. She looked fantastic! I could tell she felt fantastic too, because she made me wear her to the grocery store. What a show off!

It was like a grand prize for crafty perfection!
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And, it was so easy too. 15 minutes of crafty time- tops!

Easter weekend, revisited.

Easter weekend is one of my favorites. There is something about that fresh spring grass, budding flowers, hiding eggs, foil wrapped chocolates, and bunnies that makes my little heart beat pitter-pat.

Sadly, I forgot the vinegar this year-- and our eggs turned out more pastel than anything.

This year we were also excited to watch our youngest try his hand at soccer... and he rocked it! We have a natural born soccer player on our hands!

The mister picked these out at the store for me! Don't you love the purple ones? They instantly scream SPRING when you walk into my kitchen.

Hope you had a great Easter weekend!

crafting for therapy.

I'm kind of a clean freak at heart. So, sometimes I just have to let my hair down and make a:

Last night, one of my gal pals came over and we got to make messes, eat cookies, craft, and chat. I love it. It's so therapeutic!
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I mean, seriously-- chatting it up while your hands are busy making these--

Such fun!

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And, if you don't believe me, invite some of your besties over, make some snacks, and have a craft night. Your house and your sanity will thank you.

I love how my wreath turned out. It screams: Welcome Spring! Welcome to my front door.

busy bees, made with honey.

Spring is here.
So, we made these.


I love honey.
I could put it on everything.
But, I didn't realize just how delicious honey could be until I had this honey:

I picked in up in Arizona over Christmas. It's rich and dark, stronger, a bit nutty. I've used it all winter, and I was down to my last 1/2 cup. Perfect for my peanut butter honeybees.
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To make honey bees, just mix equal parts peanut butter, honey, and dried milk. You can mix in sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or raisins too.
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Every good honey bee needs a sturdy pair of almond:

And some cocoa powder:

Yummy. Pure honey bee goodness.

Make honey bees for your own little honeys.

"no crank" ice cream

A wise man once said, "Nothing bad can come as a result of making:

Well, not really a wise man. More like-- Little Momma. But seriously, only good things can stem from the whipping of cream. Right?

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Like this little secret I am going to share with you. Did you know you could make ice cream without a bulky, cumbersome ice cream maker? YOU CAN!

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This week, I made two kinds. Vanilla and:

It's as easy as whipping cream, adding a few other ingredients, and then packing it up in a container:


So, imagine my children's eyes when after they so perfectly cleaned their plates (as good little children do... yeah right) and I emerged from the kitchen with chilled little bowls filled with:

{AND}

Joyous! The heavenly angels are singing!

No Crank Ice Cream

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1/2 C sweetened condensed milk

1 t vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

1/4 C sour cream

1 and 1/4 C heavy cream (whipping cream)

...

While your heavy cream is whipping on high: mix milk, vanilla, salt, and sour cream together in a bowl. After your cream has whipped to hard peaks, mix together. Place mixture into a covered container and freeze for at least 6 hours. Add toppings as desired.

tell tale signs.

Oh my goodness gracious. It's finally here. We are:

Enjoyed are the chalky fingertips used for:


Enjoyed is the basking in the warm glow of the:

Enjoyed is the running around with bare:

It's subtle, but it's here.

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Thank goodness.

pizza: WAFFLEIZED.

I love my waffle iron. I can whip out a pretty mean batch of waffles on a lazy Saturday morning. But, I love to come up with new ideas for tools I have in my kitchen. I love to multi task! Come on you lazy utensils, pull your weight around here!

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So, I've figured out that a waffle iron isn't just for making waffles. I've used it to make dessert with pound cake, strawberries, and Nutella. Toasted tortillas. Made paninis. So, who's to say that you can't use it to make pizza?

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Introducing:

Believe me when I say that this is delicious. It really is. But, there are a few tricks. Ready?

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First: Make sure your dough is rolled very, very thin. almost see through.

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Second: If you are using toppings that might get kind of juicy, put your iron on top of a lipped baking sheet to catch any drippings.

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Third: Use a bit of non stick spray. Just for insurance, to make sure everything slips out of there. Nobody likes picking out between the waffle iron ridges. Nobody!

I just rolled a long rectangle of dough, and then rolled it over onto itself after I had tucked my toppings inside. See? Baking time would vary, I went by the color of the crust. I took it out when it was golden brown and crunchy. Trim the sides as you would a pie crust with a knife. They are easily removed, the edges kind of seal up with the heat and keep all of the toppings inside.

Delicious! And fun.

The reason for visiting California in the first place.

Day 2 brought some excitement!

What can I say about Disneyland that hasn't already been said? Not much. But our visit in a few pictures says it all.

And that was EXHAUSTION with a capital E!