Cleaning some stuff out---who needs bows?

Happy Friday everyone!
I am busily working on the Madrigal Serving Wench Dresses today.  24 Corsets, shifts and skirts for the Baraboo High School Music Department.I really never thought I would make THAT many of the same thing in assorted sizes again. I like playing with the color combos though.
 Tapestry corsets in earthy tones are combined with linen skirts over an unbleached muslin shift.  The shift is not only coverage but can be washed between wearings, the rest will need to be dry cleaned.

So my sewing friends what is your favorite tool? I got a new pair of Ginger lightweight bent trimmers for this project..Yeah my new favorites...Heavy and SUPER SHARP. Have you gotten any new toys lately?

 I made this....I was feeling very uncreative.  This fabric spoke to me it said "I wanna be water" and the outfit put itself together.  The outfit is for Addy's Birthday party this weekend! I think I have a pink version with flowers stuck in my head that needs to get out....

Stage mom

I directed a production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in December,   I am afraid to actually view it.
One of the teacher's taped it, we ordered a copy.
Three is a moment in the show where Buggy messes up a line and runs off stage.   I ran backstage and sent her back out and she finished the show beautifully.  I wonder if I am doing the right thing letting her be in the show this week.  Does SHE want to or is this something I want her to do?  I wasn't going to do auditions because of the questions but kinda got railroaded.  She is the executive director's daughter, and we all know she loves to perform, but can she handle the pressure?  Should she be asked to? Ugh!

On the lighter side, she is reading with the third grade and doing great.  Improving and growing beautifully.  We did pin curls the other day.  Her very first curls!  She was SO happy and giddy.  Such a girly girl.

picking up the gauntlet

Okay Lor, it is on.  If you can do this, so can I. I dug out my pedometer, water bottles and am going into the fray with ya.  Starting at 186.9 (overweight) and looking to lose 20 of it.  My step one; cut out the soda and up the water intake.  Keep up the spirit Girl!

wordless wednesdays

OHH Tasty!

A fellow NU Alumnus has a baked goods business in CA check it out here. .  She makes lots of really tasty looking treats, the Lollibakes look really tempting, but shipping them from CA might not help the freshness.  So I gave it a shot.  I am not going to to tell you how to do it here, not yet anyway, but I used strawberry cake and frosting coated in chocolate. It is like a chocolate covered strawberry.  They are not nearly as pretty as Diana's and I am pretty sure her from scratch taste way better than my box mixes but we liked them.  They could be fun to make with the kids when they are older but too time consuming for Dimples. They are the perfect snacking size and were a hit at the picnic.  Buggy suggested making them to look like fairy wands for her next birthday....hummmmm.  We have already been asked to bring them to some bake sales for local churches, pretty popular I guess.  I need to play with some ideas to make them Christmas tree ornaments. 

A long...............time between posts...sorry

It has been a very busy summer here with swimming and gymnastics and all our wonderful summer activities.  We are a few weeks into the school year and so far Buggy is having a good time.  She attends Baraboo Community Christian School, a brand new school with a "one room school house" feel to it.  The  kindergarten through third Grade are all in one room, letting Bethy work at her own pace.  Dimples and I are spending most of our time at home together, with rips to the "gym"  for him, and sometimes the library.  It seems to be lot easier to get grocery shopping and such done this way.

Idea!

Wipe off coloring pages....the cheapo way.
Needed:
the kids coloring books with uncolored pages.
card stock
clear contact paper
scissors
dry erase markers(they make these washable now!)
copy machine (find your own or use the one at work, the copy stores probably won't help you, based on copyright laws)

Copy your kids' favorite images or character's onto the card stock. Cover with clear contact paper, cut to size.  Let them color with the dry erase markers.

Here is where you ask WHY? we already have the coloring books...
My answer...1) reuse the pages, it is "green"
2) no more "but he colored that one already!" arguments
And mostly...Because crayons melt in the car, leaving a mess and stain on the seats, gobs in the carpet.

Added bonus you can make recolor-able paper dolls from their favorite characters!  Or mount them on magnet sheets and give each kid a cookie sheet and some markers.  The cookie sheet is hard enough to write on, hols the paper still and keeps the markers from rolling away.

lets clear this up alittle.......

Okay so based on questions from my last post here is the run-down in brief.


JIU is Jones International University, an on line university that I attended to get my M.ed.  Masters in Education that is.  I finished my classes at the end of August 2009, and will be part of the "official" graduation June 25 2010. A web cast from CO. I have had my diploma since September or October, not sure which.  I graduated magna cum laude with a 3.87 GPA.  




The State of PA has decided that I need another Math class in order to receive a teaching certification. (This is NOT the same as a degree.)  The state of WI  says I need to take a class in teaching reading with phonics. (Yeah, they never met my kids.)  


The VA is not being real helpful on the paperwork aspect of the whole issue.  I have arranged with JIU to take the needed class starting May 2 but need the VA to do their part.  And yes these are the same people who are now in chare of your health care.....OH  HAPPY DAY!

Graduation.....

So how does one do an on-line graduation?  I got this in my e-mail:

Congratulations on completing your JIU degree!  We are very proud of all the hard work and dedication that allowed you to reach this milestone.

You will be a part of the graduation ceremony taking place June 25, 2010.  We encourage you to get involved and contribute to this exciting celebration. 

 So any clues?  I think waiting almost a year for the "official ceromony" is a little silly. I finished my last class at the end of August.  I  have a copy of my diploma already too, so I don't actually walk across any stage or shake any hands. I kinda like that graduation was walking to the mailbox.  I didn't even do that, DH brought in the mail that day.  

my daughter made me cry

For those who have not yet heard we are babysitting for a local mom who works second shift.  Her son, we will call Curly is a few months younger than Dimples.  Those boys have had  BLAST the past few days, I think they are working on a path in the carpet running between Dimples' room and the living room with cars and trains of every sort. So cute.
 On his first night here Buggy showed just how sweet and wonderful she can be.  At bedtime she helped tuck him in, she sang "You are my Sunshine" for him and blew him a kiss.  She treats him just as she does her brother. What a great kid.
A few minutes later she came out to make sure he was okay.  The next day she asked if Curly had a good "half sleepover."  For those of you who are unaware  half sleepover is when you go to bed at a friends house then go home in the middle of the night. 

"Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all that life really means." - Robert Louis Stevenson

I made this! magnetic paperdolls

In past issues of Sew Beautiful Magazine there were paper dolls as part of the center insert thingy.

Buggy likes her paper dolls with the plastic clingy clothes (kinda like colorforms) so maybe she would like these.
Here is my issue with them, the little folding tags that hold the clothes on.  I remember they ALWAYS ripped off.

My solution, magnet sheets. They make thin sheets of magnet that you peel off the backing and stick on whatever you want to make into the magnet.  I got mine at Michael's the last time we were in town.  I know that Joann's and OTC carry it too so look around.
I peeled off the backing and  stuck the dolls on.  Then added a layer of clear contact paper, just for fun,and a little less wear.
Cut out around them and VOILA!  Paper dolls.
The clothes come off if you shake them a lot but they work great on the fridge.  Not really a Dimples friendly toy, so they stay in Buggy's room.

These could be kinda fun in the car on a cookie sheet, or a magnetic easel.  Buggy played with them for hours while Dimples napped. 
You really don't need pre-printed dolls, just cut some sheets from a coloring book.....Ohhh an idea just came to me! check back to see if it works!

Flashback Friday

Side by side comparison......yup both cute....

 and hungry......

at least you brushed after. Can I have my toothbrush back now?

Clay Play

We went with an old standby today, salt clay. Yup, more stirring and flour, more mess. Outside this time, it was beautiful out there!
Recipe 1 cup flour,1 cup salt,and some water easy peasy no need for a craft store.
Lots of cookie cutters and rolling pins and you get a morning full of crafts and sunshine.

  We used a little food coloring too.  Kinda pretty.  The blue hands were clean again by the end of the day.

Some sandbox time, lots of running around, and you get this....ahh naptime.  Is it my turn?

Remind me to tell you the story of Buggy as "Sleeping Beauty" another time.

wordless wednesday

Tasty Tuesday

So the other day I was going to make pretzels with the kids, easy enough with the bread maker. I measured and poured and dumped everything in the bread maker and turned it on. I watched to make sure it was going to be a pretty little dough ball, and as it was running noticed something odd.  Nothing is moving.  The flour, sugar etc was just sitting there.  I reached in with a spoon and found the little paddle thingy was missing.  I hadn’t checked for it before dumping stuff in because I store it in place, it lives in the bread maker.  UGGH!  Well, after a frustrated call to whine to my parents I wound up dumping it into a bowl and changing plans.  It turned into cinnamon raisin bread.  There was no way my hands could handle that much kneading.  A few quick changes and it was pretty good bread.  It took my family less than 24 hours to eat both loaves.

Today we made more for our morning activity. I took pictures to go with the recipe this time.  For those of you on diets confine yourself to 1 slice, (the size of that slice is at your own discretion.)

1 ½ cups warm water

3 ½ cups flour (we used a mix of white and wheat)

 4 tbl granulated sugar

2tbl oil

4tbls buttermilk powder

2 tbls yeast

Cinnamon

Sugar

Raisins

Glass bowl, wooden spoon and 2 eager kids….

Measure and pour ingredients into the bowl…make sure you take turns.

Buggy thinks the yeast is “pretty and brown”

She remembered that we use yeast to make the air bubbles in the bread, Dimples likes trying to say fermentation…too cute.

Dump in the flour, taste everything as you go, even the flour, which is not nearly as tasty as the sugar.

Knead it and “make it all flat.”  Then spread the cinnamon and sugar on it, don’t forget the raisins. (I forgot them last time; boy did I hear about THAT!)  Roll it up “like a fat snake” then divide it in two and put it in buttered pans.  Let it rise while you play tent in the living room and Mom cleans Dimples.  (“I need wash hands” is an understatement).

Bake it at 375 until toasty brown and smells good.  It will sound hollow when you tap it.  Let it cool then eat for a snack, and have more after dinner, and more for breakfast tomorrow….

ENJOY!

wordless wednesday