February 19th, 2009
February… although it may be the shortest month on the calendar it often feels like the longest.
The days are just beginning to get longer but more often than not they are cold, gray and uninspiring.
Then there are those rare days where the sun manages to push its way through the clouds.
The winds blow from the south and gently warm the air.
Bright green blades of grass temporarily peak out from beneath their white blanket of snow.
It is a reminder of what is to come.
A reminder that change is inevitable. Even the longest of winters will end and spring and all it’s beauty will follow.
To celebrate the coming of spring the kids and I made some virtual flowers in the Coraline Garden.
Need a little color in your February? Go grow a few for yourself!
Enjoy!
Category: applications Tagged: Coraline, garden, spring, virtual flowers 1 Comment »
February 13th, 2009
i love…LOVE!
i love … This print by etsy seller Irene Suchocki titled “Looking For Love”.
… this set of four Polaroids by etsy seller sugarspot titled “Valentine Heart”.
… and this set of 6 Valentine TTV mini cards by etsy seller lifelovepaper.
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!
Note: As many of you know, I live in a suburb of Buffalo, NY. Last night Continental Flight 3407 crashed into a home about 5 miles from us killing 49 people. In a community as small as ours this tragic and sad event is being felt by all. Please keep the victims and their families in your prayers today and this Valentine’s Day be sure to show those you hold dear to you, how much you love them.
Category: Etsy, i love Tagged: Etsy, photography, Valentine's Day No Comments »
February 10th, 2009
Here’s another work in progress for you. This one however does not involve climbing up and down on a ladder all weekend long! No, this one involves a soft comfortable chair, some music on in the background and maybe even a nice roaring fire!
Granny Squares! I love making granny squares. They are quick, easy and have stood the test of time. They are just as appealing now as they were back when your Granny was making them! These are for a blanket for my home. I figure I’m always making things and giving them away, I should probably make a few things to keep and pass down to my children.
The best part is watching your granny squares pile up! I love how they look all neatly stacked one upon the other.
You can find the pattern in the January/February ‘09 issue of Crochet Today if your feeling inspired to start your own pile!
Category: knit and crochet Tagged: crochet, Crochet Today Magazine, granny squares No Comments »
February 9th, 2009
From army green to gypsy teal!
When we first moved into our house four years ago, I was desperate to get color on the walls. The previous owners had painted the entire house beige in an effort to make the house more neutral to appeal to more buyers. It certainly didn’t make it more appealing to me, but we bought it anyways!
In our old house I had painted our living room a dark olive green, that my family and friends lovingly dubbed army green. I loved this color in our old home and decided to use it again in the new. So the living room and dining room were both painted army green. As soon as it went on the walls I knew it wasn’t right for the space but I had 2600 sq ft of “neutral” walls screaming for color so I left it and moved on.
Over the years I have thought about changing the color, but wasn’t sure what color to change it to. Then last week, I was thumbing through the February issue of Better Homes and Gardens and saw a color article singing the praises of “peacock blue”.
“Peacock blue carries a sort of majesty. It’s dark, but not dreary. It’s vivid without being electric” - Celerie Kemble
Now that’s my kind of color! The real selling point for me was seeing the color pictured with a warm red, golden yellow, chocolate brown and gray blue. All colors I am already using in my home!
So my husband and I spent the weekend painting our dining room. Next weekend it’s the living room’s turn!
Category: color, decorating Tagged: color, home decorating 1 Comment »
February 4th, 2009
Thanks to littleputbooks for including my Lilac photo block in her beautiful treasury list on Etsy!
Etsy must have liked it too… it was featured on the front page today!
Check it out before it’s gone and Enjoy!
Category: Etsy Tagged: Etsy, lilac, photography, treasury No Comments »
February 3rd, 2009
As a mother, I am constantly telling my kids to stop playing with their food. What they don’t know, is I play with mine all the time. I’m one of those do as I say, not as I do kind of parents, it’s working so far! Anyway, my type of “food play” involves a camera… not a straw and glass of milk!
I like to photograph my food!
I don’t usually share these photos here, because I figure no one really cares about a picture of my morning bowl of cereal. Then it occurred to me, that if I included a recipe with my food pics then maybe you wouldn’t mind seeing my breakfast instead of some cute baby or puppy. Not that there is anything wrong with babies and puppies, it’s just that I don’t happen to have either one of those in my home at the moment. I do, however, have food… and two cats that lay around sleeping all day, which makes them about as interesting as my bowl of cereal!
So today’s food photo… I mean recipe, is Coffee Cake! This recipe is my mom’s and is quick, easy and delicious!
Quick Coffee Cake:
3/4 C. sugar
2 C. flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 C. vegetable oil
1/2 C. milk
Combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. In a seperate bowl, combine beaten eggs, oil and milk. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until combined. Turn batter into greased 9″ square pan.
Crumb Topping:
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. butter
Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter in a bowl with the back of a fork. Spoon topping over batter. Bake in 400 deg. F. oven for 25 - 30 minutes. Serve warm!
Yields 9 large servings or 12 more moderate! Enjoy!
Category: baking Tagged: coffee cake, recipe No Comments »
February 3rd, 2009
Welcome to my new home! Thanks for checking out my new space, I hope you like the new look!
A big Thank You to my sister Denise for all of her help with the move!
It is customary in the US to bring a house warming gift when visiting a friends’ new home. In this case however, I’m going to reverse that and give all of you a gift for all of the support you continue to give!
Just click on the image above or here for your free 1280×800 px desktop wallpaper download!
Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!
Category: free downloads Tagged: desktop wallpaper, free downloads, photography No Comments »
January 30th, 2009
i love… having fun with my photos!
image credit: picnik.com
… Picnik.com is one of the best online photo editors out there. You simply import you photos from your computer, facebook flickr and others, and start playing. Crop, re-size, rotate and fix red-eye. Then add text, create cool effects like lomography, Polaroid, sepia and a ton more! It truly is, “Photo editing made fun”!
image credit: Jessica Jones of How About Orange
… when your done editing your photos head on over to How About Orange for a quick and easy fabric fridge frame tutorial by Jessica Jones.
image credit: scrapping with Ikea Goddess
… or if digital scrapbooking is your thing, check out Scrapping with Ikea Goddess. A great collection of links to all sorts of free templates, pages and other digital goodies!
Have fun with your photos this weekend!
Category: i love Tagged: digital scrapbooking, online photo editing, photography, picnik, tutorial No Comments »
January 29th, 2009
A special thanks to TEA Photography for featuring my Chinese Lantern print in her beautiful treasury list and lovely blog! Happy Lunar New Year Everyone!
Category: Etsy, photography Tagged: chinese new year, Etsy, lunar new year, photography No Comments »
