Busy Day

Last night, I made a tutu for Isabella. I found the directions for it on No Time For Flashcards' post.  I bought all I thought I needed from Walmart.  Got frustrated because the ribbon roll was deceptively short.  But, I made it work.  I loved how it looked, and couldn't wait until Izzy saw it, this morning. 

Cute, huh?  Well, once I tied it around Isabella, I realized I need more tulle.  It's more of a tutu apron, right now.  Ah, well....she LOVES it, so I'll wait before I run out and spend money I shouldn't really spend, right now on more tulle.

The beads Izzy's wearing are a purchase she made while we went to garage sales, this morning.  Normally, she doesn't like to go.  But, she's has a new passion for horses, and I told her we should look for My Little Ponies or horses to buy at garage sales.  She was eager to go, once she thought THAT was a good idea.  And she scored!  Along with 3 sets of beads, she came home with a Barbie (all of my old ones are falling apart, now that she's old enough to play with them), a My Little Pony, another little hard body horse, 3 pairs of shoes to grow into, a shirt, a dress, and....major score.....a stuffed horse.  I HAD made a vow no more stuffed animals.  But, she spotted it as we drove by a house, fell immediately in love with it, and it's been by her side the rest of the day (and night).

After we got home, we decided today was a good day to bake.  We started off with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Don't worry - Izzy can eat the cookie dough.  I used flax and water instead of eggs.  With this cookie, you can't taste the difference, and they don't go stale as quickly.  It's great! (and healthy)

After we made the cookies, I made homemade Wheat Thins.  I found the recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod's website.  I didn't make any changes, and after baking them, the only thing I'd add is pricking them with a fork before putting them in the oven.  I had some get an air bubble.  The best tasting ones were the ones without the air bubble. 
Also, next time, I'd make sure they were a littl emore browned.  I was paranoid about burning them.
Here are some pictures of the process:

 Oops...the wine isn't in the crackers.  The bottle was just there, awaiting me for after Izzy's bedtime relaxtion.

 Love our Silpats!

 We don't have much counter space...had to share with the crockpot, which held our delicious dinner of BBQ pork steaks.

 Used the pizza cutter we got from my parents' trip to Stockholm, South Dakota's anniversary celebration.  :)

 Ready for the oven...

Ready for my belly.  haha!

Well, I'm beat.  So...
'Til Later!

Restless...

Do you ever have a restless feeling day?  I am having one of those.  I want to do something crafty, but don't know what. I have an idea for a couple of different projects, but until I buy wood and Modge Podge and sticker letters, I can't do either of them.  I could sew...that's likely what I'll go do. Once I pull myself away from reading blogs and FB.  What a time sucker FB is!  Who cares what people you barely know are doing?  This is why I need to get much more crafty.
We're supposed to run out for grocery shopping, later, but who knows when.  When Aaron says he's ready, we need to be ready to go.  But he's working in his office so it could be in 10 minutes or in a couple of hours.  Still, I could sew....
I think I'm just in a weird mood, too.  Not cranky, but, well....restless.  I got up at 5:30, showered, sat down at 5:45 to start my homework on my Bible Study.  I just started the Esther study by Beth Moore with a small group of women (only one of whom I know, but I'm very excited - none of the other ladies are 20 something new moms.  These are ladies with life experiences!  While they're all older than I am - believe it or not - I'm finally in a group of women who aren't looking at me like "what could we possibly have in common with a 40 something mom of a 4 year old?  we're hipper and cuter!").  I've been wanting to do a Beth Moore study for years, and have been hearing God whisper I need time with Him and Him alone every day.  The homework for this study is 5 days of intense study each week.  So I knew the timing was right to get me going.
Today, though....my first day (so proud I got up and ready!), 5:55 a diesel pickup across the street started up and revved its engine before taking off.  6:00 "Mommy!  Mommy!  Mommy!"  Couldn't get her back to sleep, so we dozed in bed together until 8. 
Which is when she normally wakes up!  I was so looking forward to that 2 hours of quiet time. 
I did get Day 1 homework finished, later in the morning when Izzy was occupied with something else.
Now, there's day 2 of homework ahead of me, so tomorrow morning, we try again.

Well, another part of every day - "Mommy, I'm STILL hungry" after Izzy finished her lunch - that I gave her so I could type this.  Okay, not just so I could type this.  I do like to nourish my daughter with all her meals and snacks for her growth, not just for quiet time for Mommy.  haha!

'Til Later!

Wow!

Woke up to find 3 green little plants, sticking out of the garden.  Our first ones!  So exciting.  It's yellow squash. 
I know not to get too excited, until we actually have veggies ready to harvest.  There's still a lot to get through - bunnies (we still need to figure out some kind of fencing), dogs (again, the fencing), drought (hopefully not this summer, or the water bill will be GULP!), just plain failure by my brown thumb.
But, I am still cautiously VERY EXCITED!!  Wonder if there will be anything new tomorrow morning?

'Til Later!!

Let Them Eat Cake - Twice!

I love to bake.  But, last night, for some reason, I went crazy with it, even for me.  I wanted to make a cake for our dessert.  Couldn't decide between a chocolate one, or a spicy one. So...I made both! 
I'm a sucker for cookbooks.  Good thing I don't have the money to just go buy them.  The most wonderful thing for me, and anyone who loves to play in the kitchen...the internet.  I love looking up different recipes to try new dishes.  it's how I learned how to make Vietnamese Fresh Rolls (not fried spring rolls, or salad rolls...different names for basically the same thing...but I digress) and enchiladas.  I'm wanting to make Pho Ga, soon, because I found a recipe on-line (not to mention, I love eating Pho Ga).  When I finally make it, I'll take pictures of my steps and post.
But last night, was all about the cake.  I found my recipes to try on Tasty Kitchen's site.
Aunt Gini's Devil's Food Cake was my chocolate one.  My husband dished up our piece of this cake.  I wish I would've taken a picutre of his presentation.  He cut the cake out with a biscuit cutter (I've done this before with brownies...it's a gorgeous way to present your dessert, by the way), put a light topping of chocolate syrup (we recommend Nestle's syrup that doesn't use high fructose corn syrup.  We are anti-HFCS!), then a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with just a little more chocolate syrup.  This cake was yummy and moist.  I'm not sure I'll ever go back to using a boxed devil's food cake mix, again.  Easy-peasey, and DELICIOUS!
Mom's Old Fashioned Pumpkin and Spice Bundt Cake was the spice cake I chose.  I wasn't going to try it, last night, since we had the rich chocolate cake, already.  But, once I took the cake out of the bundt pan and put it onto my cake plate....the smell overtook me.  Oh.....YUM!!  Incredible. 

In fact, I've eaten my breakfast.  I'm ready for another cup of coffee...I might just have to indulge in a tiny piece right now, even though it's only 8 am. 
As you can see, I have something else to do.  So, 'til later!

Busy couple of weeks

My parents have been and gone, and finally I have time to write a little.  Not a lot of time, as we're going to my brother's for dinner, tonight.  But, just sitting here with my princess while she watches "Team Umizoomi," I figured I could blog a bit.
While my parents were here, my dad put in a garden for us.  Very exciting!!  It's something Izzy wanted so much, so he was happy to oblige.
Here are the pics:

I did get a little crafting done, too.  I made a few hairclips for Izzy.

I had never done this, before, but it was fun!  Hadn't used my hot glue gun in years....decided that'll be changing.  What else can I hot glue??  :)

It was a fun time with my parents - lots of work, but a trip to the zoo and lots of yummy meals with them and my brother and his family.  Still, nice to get life back to normal.

'til next time!

Ah, Monday...

As a stay at home mom, whose husband doesn't work a standard M-F, 9-5 job, Mondays really aren't much different from any other day of the week. Sunday is our only different day, with having to get up to an alarm and get to Sunday School on time. Our church is about 40 minutes away, so it's always a rush out the door. 
Today, though, we are BUSY! My parents are coming to town, from the Seattle area, tomorrow evening. They aren't staying with us. My youngest brother and his family live in the same town we do, and they have a dedicated guest room.  But, after my daughter and I pick up my folks from the airport, I am making dinner for everyone - 8 in all.  I decided on Vietnamese Fresh Rolls, Orange Chicken, and Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, along with jasmine rice.  It's nice because I can cook up the chicken, shrimp, and rice noodles for the rolls, today.  Tomorrow morning, I can do all the cutting and prepping, and get the ingredients all lined up, so that once we're home from the airport, I can get the rice cooking and then start the wok and fry pan cooking of the rest.  Should be quick and fairly easy!
I am so itching to sew.  Maybe, at some point today, I can at least do a little.  I'm not a good seamstress by any stretch of the imagination. Still, I enjoy sewing on quilt blocks. They'll never be entered in any shows, or be ooh'ed and aah'ed over. But, I still like doing it.  I recently finished cutting the fabric for a paper pieced quilt.

Several years ago, I made a black and white paper pieced quilt. My husband LOVES it, and it's now his.  When he's cold, watching tv, or in bed, that's the blanket he claims.  It warms my heart that he loves it so much!

Well, shopping, errands, and cleaning await. But, first, I have a 4 year old begging for some time. She wants to do a puzzle, so I'm off to help her (she loves 100 piece puzzles, and I admit...I love doing them with her!).

'til next time....

Do I Really Have Time For This, Too?

Hi. Since this is the first post on my third attempt at a blog, I should use this one to write a little about myself....right? Is that how it should be done? My first blog went for 3 years, just for family and friends, all about my daughter. She was born on a Monday, so we posted pictures of her every Monday. Well, for the first couple of years. Then, we got busy with life and playdates and a big move. So it wasn't as consistent. And, eventually, I just didn't post anymore.

Then, I started a blog, that was supposed to be about my life as a mom of a post-toddler/early pre-schooler. I think I made one...possibly two...posts. I think I just wasn't motivated. But, now, I'm feeling the pull to write things, again. Maybe no one will read. Or maybe just my two best friends will follow. But, maybe it'll satisfy one creative need, at least.

Oh, did I say who I am? My name is Sherry. I'm an OLD mom of a 4 year old daughter, Isabella, who is THE light of the lives of my husband and myself. I stay at home with Isabella, though I do work very part time outside the house, two days a month (at this point). We are followers and lovers of Christ, and hope to share that love and relationship with Izzy. I am planning to home school. And, I'm trying to be a more crafty mom, to satisfy that need all preschoolers have of creating....anything and everything!

Since I'm home almost every day with a 4 year old, my need for adult conversation (uninterrupted, at that) is huge. I think that's partly why I'm writing (or attempting to write) this blog. Also, I've become so addicted to looking at craft blogs, and reading homeschoolers blogs, I guess it was inevitable I'd try my hand at it.

So...what will I write about? Well, of course, about my kiddo and the hilarious (and smart) things she says and does. I'm sure I'll share pictures of her artwork and crafts. Once we get going with homeschool, if I've stuck this out, I'll write about our adventures with that. As any Christian knows, there are ups and downs with our faith. I may blog about things I'm thinking, reading, going through, struggling with - if anyone happens to be following and wants to comment, or discuss, that would be great!

And...well, since my title is "The Adventures of an Oh-So-Not Crafty Mama," I thought I'd share my own craft projects. If I get the idea from someone else's blog, I'll link to them, so you can get the real directions on what to do!

I guess this really is going to be a blog of my rambling about anything and everything going on. If you're snoopy, or just needing a friend and you're feeling isolated as I do so much of the time right now, you are welcome to read and even comment.

Well, I'll leave this first post with a couple of pictures of crafts I've done in the past couple of weeks. Oh, boy.....:) As you'll see - I'm really not very arty or crafty, but for some reason, feel the need to make things, anyway.

This was from Little Birdie Secrets:How To Make Torn Paper Flowers

And here is my daughter with her name, outside her room (which was where she wanted them, not inside). I am no painter, obviously. But Isabella's reaction made me feel like I was!  She loves it.  Warms my heart.

I don't know how often I'll get on here (did you see the title for this post?  I'm sure you can relate....).  But...until next time!