my favorite color is . . .

Yellowstone Summer Trip 2010

2010-10-07T09:44:00.003-06:00

Fun times with the cousins this summer at Wendell's parents' cabin in Island Park, just west of Yellowstone. We saw amazing wildlife including a black wolf, up close, a coyote, some moose, elk, bison, squirrels, and my favorite: a hawk swooped down from the sky, caught a fish from the Snake River (about 100 feet away from the cabin) then flew through the air with the silver fish in it's talons. It felt like we were in a NatGeo special. We drove to the top of Sawhill Peak (is that what it's called?) which is so high there are no trees, and although it was hot, end o' summer weather down below, the icy wind blasted right through our layers as we posed for the last picture on top of the peak. Stiff, frosty snow gripped the trees along the road as we neared the top, and the ground was covered with ice. We also floated the river for several hours one day. Max even came with, which slowed us down a bit as Janet and I shared a boat and she had to paddle all alone, against the wind, while I nursed Max during the first half of the ride. Slow going, but fun, and a work out. We were all tired afterward. We saw Old Faithful, of course, and ate icecream at the snack bar there. Josh noted that he'd been waiting a whole year for that icecream (we did a trip to Yellowstone last year, just Josh and I and Mavis and Jack) therefore, he couldn't, or wouldn't share when I asked for a taste of his. I guess he really loves the icecream there. Josh and the guys took scuba tanks so they could explore the depths of the Firehole while the rest of us swam around up top. What a beautiful place!

A little monster that isn't very scary

2010-10-05T21:40:00.001-06:00

This monster is going on the quilt that Amberlee is making for Max. I'm excited to see how it turns out. I went with her to the fabric store yesterday to choose all of the fabrics and discuss the design she had made. We altered a few things in the design, and she set to work.

Stand For the Family

2010-09-30T22:04:00.003-06:00

My new favorite book:

Stand for the Family by Sharon Slater.

I love it because of it's powerful messages: We can make a difference in the world! and, Motherhood is the most important, and most rewarding of all the jobs I can choose to do. This is a great read and has renewed my commitment to my marriage and family, and to the betterment of the lives of all the people of the world.

(Ok, I do have to add a warning...now that I've actually finished the book. I do not recommend this for younger readers as it talks about too many sensitive subjects in too much detail for the younger crowd. It is an adult read, that gives parents information that they can then talk about with their kids, screening the info to make it age-appropriate for their needs. It is a book full of the first-hand experiences of the author during her 10 years attending UN meetings and "World Congress of Family" meetings, in addition to a great set of research to show the scientific backing for why the traditional family unit is the best way, and really the only way, to go. Sharon Slater also succeeds in providing a host of ways to help protect and promote the family, which gives me hope and renewed energy in my daily efforts as a wife, mother, and wanna-be activist for the traditional, nuclear family.)

Chocolate Mint Tingle

2010-09-29T11:50:00.004-06:00

My favorite dessert:

CHOCO-MINT TINGLE SHAKE
by Josh Blackwelder

Serves 4.

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (we like Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa, or Callebaut)
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
24 cubes frozen whole milk (freeze 4 cups milk in ice cube trays)
10 to 15 peppermint discs (20 to 30 ounces)

Heat unfrozen milk and sugar over medium heat. Whisk in cocoa until dissolved. Pour chocolate mixture in blender. Add milk ice cubes and pulse blender until cubes are all blended up. Add peppermint candy and run blender on high for 5 seconds or until candy is finely chopped. Divide among four 12-oz. glasses. Serve immediately.

Note: use a high-powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix for best results. We burned out a few cheap blenders making these before we finally got a real workhorse.

Another (less important) note: This has a lot less fat and less sugar than the average chocolate shake made with icecream, and costs less to make too.

p.s. I would post a picture but am having trouble with the blog...can't seem to get the "add a picture" function to work. Maybe later when someone a little more tech-savvy gets home from work.

Max's blessing day

2010-09-27T22:22:00.004-06:00

A nearly perfect day. A beautiful blessing given by Josh. Beautiful weather...blue and sunshiny. The only regrets: I let myself stress out for a few minutes after church when we were trying to get the food ready, and I completely forgot to invite my grandparents!! Duh!! I really feel bad about that and wish I could go back and change that.

It's about time for a family picture

2010-02-08T21:25:00.002-07:00

I don't think we have had a picture of us all together since Valentine's day last year... so we set up the tripod and set the timer for some shots of us against the newly painted blue family room wall. Not quite profesh, but about as good as it will get for now. Maybe some day I'll pay someone to take some family portraits. We'll see.

Christmas delights

2010-01-28T01:59:00.002-07:00

This is the delightful new bedspread Amberlee sewed for me for my birthday. It makes me so happy, almost giddy, every time I walk in the room and get a shot of all those bright colors! It's exactly the picker-upper I crave in the middle of winter.

These are the Thomas Keller gougeres we made for Christmas dinner (from Bouchon, I think). Wow! Another deluxe delight this Christmas!! I have to say though, that I like the Tartine gougeres a LOT too, and the Tartine variety are so beautiful. I'd like to make them both the same day next time so I can compare them, especially the flavors, more fairly. It's been too long since we made the Tartine gougeres, so it's hard for me to be sure of which ones taste better. Josh thinks the Thomas Keller version tastes better while the Tartine version looks better.
And here I am eating a chocolate pot de creme (recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated) at the Christmas Eve party. The chocolate was topped with whipped cream then garnished with crushed peppermint candy and a peppermint meringue cookie. Make sure to serve these when the chocolate creme is at room temperature. They taste much better (smoother, creamier, lighter, yet still very rich) than when they're cold (too rich and overwhelming...you can only eat one or two bites when they're chilled).
Seems like I forgot to take pictures of the rest of our Christmas festivities. Oops. I was too busy making the festivities happen to also make some pictures happen. At least Josh remembered the camera on Christmas morning. The videos he took are the best. See the videos of the kids on Christmas morning.

The Beehive Bazaar—December 2009

2010-01-28T01:51:00.002-07:00

For the Beehive Bazaar at the beginning of December I made candy rings, some papier mache, and some felt hair clips and felt flower pins. I had several other projects in the works, but didn't finish them in time, including the paper dolls (there was a big mishap by the place that did some laminating for me...kinda ruined most of the project). It was fun to share a booth space with Josh's cousins, Briana, Tess and Candice! They had lovely things and delicious treats to sell.

Halloween Highlights

2010-01-28T01:32:00.004-07:00

A ghost.
A seal.
This boy LOVES to cook! "Sawt, sawt," he says as he grabs the nearest thing he can find and shakes it over whatever he's cooking.

This girl LOVES to hug, squeeze, kiss, chase, tickle, and boss her brother.
This boy busted his chin open on the wooden stairs at the French House at the tail end of a family Halloween party. A few days later he busted it open again on the metal trim of the bench in the dressing room at Old Navy. The day after that he busted it open again when he tripped and smacked it into the carpeted stair between the kitchen and tv area. We used super glue to repair it each time, but after so many repeats the final result left a solid line of scar tissue in the middle of the healed wound. Oh well, at least it's on the underside of the chin, and not very visible. Poor little guy—that was a tough week.

Sock Monkey

2010-01-28T01:20:00.002-07:00

I love my little sock monkey and Jack loves being a little sock monkey. He gets excited every time, running around repeating "monkey, monkey"!
Could he be any cuter?! His jacket was a dingy, whitish, hand-me-down that I upcycled with a bit of leftover dye from a tie-dye party at my sister's house last summer. I like the brown and grey version much better—it's just right for this little boy.

Dallin H. Oaks on Religious Freedom and Politics

2009-10-25T23:07:00.002-06:00

An excellent talk given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. I highly recommend it!!

Beehive Bazaar details

2009-10-18T09:26:00.002-06:00

The Bazaar takes place on:

Thursday December 3rd from 9 pm until midnight;

Friday, December 4th from 10 am to 10 pm,

Saturday, December 5th from 10 am to 8 pm

Beehive Bazaar — Winter 2009

2009-10-13T21:10:00.002-06:00

I'm selling delightful goodies at the Beehive Bazaar in December. I'll have paper dolls, candy rings, papier mache deer sculptures, and more. Come see me there.

Family Reunion Family Photo

2009-07-06T08:10:00.003-06:00

I love the family photo taken at the reunion. And how about those shirts? (I designed them :) ) Each of the ten siblings from Don's family had a different color shirt for all of of their kids and grandkids.

A whole new world

2009-06-19T07:12:00.005-06:00

The bottom half of one of the wooden planks in the fence is broken off. The remaining hole provides lots of excitement as it exposes the neighbor's backyard, usually replete with boys and bikes, and sometimes even water balloons that the boys might throw at you. Mavis is intrigued by this window into a new world.

Late Snow

2009-06-15T12:35:00.006-06:00

I had already planted my garden during a two week warm spell mid-spring, when a late-spring snowstorm took us by surprise dumping a LOT of snow SUPER fast. The first picture is my garden, with the neighbors flowering plum trees about to break in the background. I took some pics, then grabbed my broom to follow the example of my neighbor and her kids in smacking snow off of the trees to alleviate the branches. All around the valley hundreds of trees had huge branches break off from the weight of the snow.

Josh scraped a path to the sidewalk before he left for work.

This is a neighbor's tree right after the snowfall, in the early morning. Next we see the same tree after an hour or so of sunshine had melted most of the snow off.

The Proper Role of Government

2009-05-29T21:08:00.006-06:00

Today I heard a quote that I believe is true, and important and not understood by most, especially by our current government (nor was it very well understood by many of those in our government in the last few years):

The proper role of government is to protect equal right's, not to provide equal things.

Also, here is a slide show that I've seen lately that helped me understand more clearly the form of government the Founding Fathers set up for us, namely a republic, and how important that has been to the success of the United States of America. http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/

Asayo's Wish Foundation Walk-a-thon

2009-05-19T10:55:00.004-06:00

I'm excited to go see the beautiful gardens at Thanksgiving Point, in Lehi, Utah as part of a fundraiser for Asayo's Wish Foundation. I think it's a great idea because who doesn't love to walk through the gardens there? And then to pair that with a fundraising effort is fantastic. It will be on Saturday, May 30th, at 8 am (registration begins at 7 am). Check out the official event site for details here.

www.asayoswish.org
www.asayoswishblog.com

Grapes for snacktime

2009-05-13T02:42:00.001-06:00

As pretty as they are sweet.

Wacky Jacky

2009-05-13T02:33:00.003-06:00

At this age, 14 months, he is very insistent about feeding himself.

This is his favorite jacket that he asks ("uhh, uuhh") me to put on him whenever he spies it. Today, after wearing it during a very messy dinnertime, I took the jacket off of him to put it in the wash. Jack was irate, pointing to the jacket and screaming and crying, hoping I'd return his beloved possession.

Neon Hues

2009-05-13T02:29:00.002-06:00

We had fun sculpting with Play-doh the other day. Mavis had the clever idea of pressing her plastic princess ring and other found objects into the clay to make fanciful impressions. I made a river of clay, with floating flowers and a large shoreline bloom.

Easter Blues

2009-05-13T02:03:00.011-06:00

Don't let the title of the post mislead you. Easter was as pleasant a day as could be, with the bluest of blue skies and perfect temperatures. Blue is a calming color, and the brilliant sky helped invoke the peacefulness that the Resurrection and Atonement of Christ bring to our lives.

Following is a whole slew of photos from the day.

Hunting for eggs and baskets from the Easter Bunny.

Jennifer made a piñata.

The piñata stick cracked!

And the winners for best photos of the day:

A good laugh!

2009-05-11T11:01:00.002-06:00

Laughter is the best medicine, right? We've certainly all heard it before, and I'm also certain we all agree. In fact I heard about a group in California years back that would gather just to laugh. And today I heard about it again. What fun! Check it out here.

Reinventing Date Night

2009-04-23T22:23:00.002-06:00

I liked this article I linked to from my first-cousin-once-removed's sister-in-law's blog.

Preparing for Easters

2009-04-22T21:42:00.006-06:00

We dyed eggs at the 'rents place. I think Mavis and Annie (not even pictured here) dyed the most eggs — close to 2 dozen each. Izak is on his mission, and his friend, Jana, who is a girl (not officially the girlfriend, although they do write to each other every single week!) comes over every now and then to hang out. Jana and her sister Kate showed up when we were dyeing eggs. That was fun for us. It was also especially nice that Jana and Lexy watched the kids for us afterward so we (me and the sibs and spouses and 'rents) could all go to Shoga for dinner. I've only been once, but I was pretty impressed with Shoga, the new Japanese restaurant next door to Outback in Orem (kitty corner from the University Mall ... just South and West of it). Real Fresh! And flavorful. I'm excited to go back. Also, I finally made it to red mango and it was real fresh too. Great flavor! I had the regular flavor yogurt with strawberries and mango. It was exceptional!

Lastly, and more importantly, in the week leading up to Easter I ended up talking with Mavis about the meaning of Easter. We talked about Jesus' death (we didn't go into much detail yet) and His resurrection. Also, several weeks ago we visited Grandma Irons again, Janet's mom, who is quite old now, and close to death. She has soft, bony hands; thin, matted, grey hair; hunched over body; can't hear much, etc. It scared Mavis a bit, although she was a good sport and gave out hugs, danced for Grandma, and let Great-grandma hold her hand. So out of the blue, on multiple occasions, Mavis angrily told me, "I don't want to die!!" "I'm not going to get old!" "I don't like Heavenly Father's plan!" And then, when she was in trouble the other day she yelled at me "You just want me to die!" It seems that my attempts to teach her about Easter and resurrection, and our visits to Grandma have combined to cause her quite a bit of inner turmoil. She was so sad that it made me feel sad too, although I have to admit that deep down I also wanted to chuckle a bit at how sensitive and thoughtful she is. I was thinking about this in church the other day and realizing that the reason I don't suffer from the same fear is because I have felt the comforting spirit of the Holy Ghost confirming to me that there is life after death, and that there is a Savior, which is Jesus. I hope to be able to help Mavis find her answers and feel the same peace in her heart.

Milestones

2009-04-22T21:26:00.004-06:00

Well, Jack is officially weaned. That doesn't mean he doesn't still want to nurse (he tries to get in there and smacks me where it counts when he's thirsty/hungry), but this week was the end of it. It's been more than a day now and we're not going back. I have to admit a little bit of sadness. I enjoy nursing. It's nice to have to slow down, sit down, hold baby and snuggle. I will miss that. But it's time.

He also learned to tell me he wants his diaper off by grabbing at it. Not that anyone wants to know about that, but I love to see him learning to communicate more clearly. He doesn't just cry at everything, but is really making efforts at more efficient communication. It's so cute. He also has a few new words. His first word was "nuh, nuh" which means "no". His next word was "uh-uh" which he's refined to "uh-oh" now. Today he added another one, "bah" for ball & balloon. He says "ma, ma, ma, ma" and "da, da, da" but I don't think he uses them as words yet, just fun sounds to say.

Spring Planting

2009-04-15T09:42:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago there were several warm days in which we got the garden tilled and planted a bunch of cold-weather veggies. It's my first time getting the garden planted in early Spring and I'm feeling pretty excited about it. Tiny shoots from the peas and beets have come up already!

I found this lovely arugula plant at Walmart, of all places.

Boys and Girls 1

2009-04-09T10:43:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago we had a pizza party with a neighbor and her kids. I was prepping Mavis, telling her about the kids that would be coming to play and have pizza. When she learned that there were a lot of boys she sounded a bit concerned as she asked me, "Are those boys nice to little girls like me?" I assured her they were, but one of the boys gave Mavis a big kick/shove off of the couch at one point during the night, so I guess she was rightly worried. Boys!

Foodie Training 2

2009-04-09T10:11:00.002-06:00

Mavis proved to me that she's developing a discerning palate. She is aware that there are different ingredients and flavors in what she eats. Case in point — the other day she said to me, "Mom, boogers have a lot of salt in them, don't they." Hmmmm. "Yes, they probably do," I replied.

Do NOT take any more pictures!

2009-04-06T14:29:00.002-06:00

I guess sometimes I get too busy taking pictures and need her reminder to put the camera away! lol.

Opa has a new buddy

2009-04-06T14:07:00.001-06:00

Guess who loves rides on the motorcycle?

Louw Home Mini Makeover

2009-04-06T13:56:00.003-06:00

We gave the 'rents a pretty big surprise when they returned from a few weeks of vacation in Arizona and Nevada. While they were gone Jennifer spearheaded a mini-makeover of the kitchen/living area of the home. While Jennifer certainly did most of the work, the rest of us tried to pitch in a little here and there to get the house looking ship-shape. By the looks on their faces, it was a big success!

Starry Starry Night

2009-04-06T13:46:00.004-06:00

I really love these stars that Nikki sold at the last Beehive Bazaar. I believe she will also be selling some lovelies at the upcoming Bazaar from April 30th to May 2nd.

Pretzels and Khao Niao

2009-04-06T13:40:00.002-06:00

Josh made some pretzels the other day. This time I shaped a few tiny ones. They are so tasty.

I made some Khao Niao something or other (Thai Purple Sticky Rice) served with a sweet coconut sauce — one of my favorite desserts in Thailand.

I spy with my little eye...

2009-04-06T13:20:00.002-06:00

Oh, the fun we have!

(She's so dang cute and soooo sassy!)

First Time Skiing

2009-04-06T11:57:00.002-06:00

So, I didn't get any good pics. Marcie and Sophie and Mavis and I went to Sundance for Mavis's first time skiing. Mavis was not excited and wouldn't even look at the camera because she was upset about the whole thing. Luckily for us, Marcie is a great teacher and gave Mavis a little lesson. We only did one run on the bunny hill then left because the rope tow for the bunny hill wasn't even on. Short trip, but good, as Mavis realized it wasn't so bad after all, and Sophie was a great helper to her.

First Haircut

2009-04-06T10:24:00.005-06:00

Jack's had been sporting the comb-over look for too long, so on his first birthday he got his first haircut. Jennifer brought the buzzer and helped me out. He was a little under-the-weather, which probably helped because he was too tired to struggle much.

Mavis, Ewan and Sophie (not pictured) looked on from the sidelines.

Here he is afterward, wrapped in the brand new birthday blanket that auntie Amberlee made for him. The blanket has super snuggley minky fabric on the back in a nice blue (pms 207). Granna tries to hold him back as he reaches for the camera. Little Jack is always trying to get to the tools, the electronics, the adult things like cameras and keys.

Valentine's Dance 2009

2009-04-06T10:19:00.003-06:00

I didn't get many pics this year at the Valentine's Dance. Luckily, though, I did catch a few good dance moves and a shot of my boys. Jack's little bow tie was quite fetching.

"You're Elmo's Best Friend"

2009-04-05T11:14:00.001-06:00

Ladie's Lunch 2 addendum

2009-04-05T10:53:00.004-06:00

A few more pics from the event.

Ladie's Lunch 2

2009-04-03T09:53:00.006-06:00

We recently had the second gathering in the Ladie's Lunch tradition that Lindsay got us started on a few months ago. We met at my house this time and continued working on a collaborative art project we began the first time. It is a visual representation of the women of our family, both past and present. It is an ongoing project that will be added to over the years. Here are my mom's pictures from this last lunch.

Bloom where you're planted

2009-04-03T09:37:00.002-06:00

My mom sent me an email this morning with the following pics and message:

I was in the storage room the other day and found one rotten pumpkin
growing mold and a box of potatoes growing sprouts. Made me think:
Each plant of God's creation tries to reach the measure and purpose of its life.
Too bad all people are not as determined as all plants. We should all
try to grow daily. Bloom where you are planted. Sprout with energy
and life. Love ya, Leslie

8th International LDS Art Competition

2009-03-23T11:31:00.000-06:00

Check out the beautiful works of the 8th International Art Competition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here.

So grown up!

2009-03-10T13:07:00.005-06:00

Mavis came out of the toy room yesterday with some little fake birds that she's not supposed to remove from the little bird cage hanging in her bedroom. They're just decorations that break easily. Now that she's four she likes to show how much more grown up she is.

"Mom, when I was free (i.e. "three") me and Sophia took these (the birds) out of my room. I have to put them back now." Later to Jack she says, "Me and Soph were naughty, Jack, when I was free." When she came back from returning the birds to her room I asked if she'd put them back in the cage. She responded, "Yes, and I lockeded the cage so naughty girls can't get them out; no free-year-olds!"

Well, she's still naughty on occasion, such as yesterday, when she cut her hair herself . . . or maybe Katie, the neighbor girl cut it. Each says the other did it, so who knows. It's her second hair cut ever. Remember the first one? Another neighbor friend. :)

Following are before and after shots from the same day (thanks to Erin for the lovely blue dress!!).

So much work!

2009-03-10T11:28:00.003-06:00

Me: Mavis, please wipe up your mess with this cloth.
Mavis: Ughh! Mom, you always want me to do ALL of your work.

Quote for the day

2009-03-08T13:38:00.000-06:00

A people may prefer a free government, but if...they are unequal to the exertions necessary for preserving it; if they will not fight for it when it is directly attacked; ...if by momentary discouragement, or temporary panic, or a fit of enthusiasm for an individual, they can be induced to lay their liberties at the feet even of a great man, or trust him with powers which enable him to subvert their institutions, in all these cases they are more or less unfit for liberty....and [are] unlikely long to enjoy it.

John Stuart Mill. Considerations of Representative Government. 1861.

Spark

2009-03-08T12:19:00.004-06:00

Last night we tried to go out to a new restaurant, Gloria's Little Italy in Provo. But the wait was too long so we headed next door to Spark. What a lucky change of plans. We've been to Spark a few times before and it's one of the top restaurants in Utah Valley, by far. When it comes to presentation they may be first. When it comes to flavor, there are a few others that can compete, such as Pizzeria 712, and, umm, well, maybe that's it.

Anyways, about the food: the fettucine dish was DELUXE! We were so in love. Also, the potato leek soup was excellent — very rich and full flavored. Both dishes were enhanced with truffle oil, and wow, that always makes for something extra special. I also had hebi (fish from Hawaii — I'd never heard of it before) served over braised carrots and a red lentil cake, all very delicious.

If you don't want to go all out for dinner, just go later and get dessert or a drink. They've got some fun drinks. I especially like the apple martini (even after it's gone it's wonderful to put your nose in and inhale the leftover aroma), and the shirley temple (to be fair, although it does taste good, I'm mostly just in love with the shirley temple because it's so CUTE, but in a chic, dressed up sort of way — all pink with a stick of cotton candy on top.

First Birthday

2009-03-08T09:47:00.008-06:00

Somebody turned 1! And we had a party, although the birthday boy was sick so he wouldn't delight us with any exciting cake chomping and smashing. Also, the cake was pretty but the texture and flavor didn't hit the mark. It was a yellow cake recipe that I substituted kamut flour in, and I didn't have butter so I used a recipe calling for coconut oil in the frosting. Maybe I just haven't found the right recipes. Kamut works so well in chocolate cake that I thought it might have a chance in a yellow cake, but no such luck. It was edible, but just barely. Nonetheless, we had a good time and the kids really liked the streamers.

Venturing into the Big Blue

2009-03-06T13:37:00.002-07:00

We have really enjoyed swimming lessons with Pam. We did 2 weeks of lessons at the beginning of February.

First Chocolate

2009-03-04T19:14:00.001-07:00

I think the boy enjoyed his first chocolate, given to him by his sister.

Kamut for Valentine's

2009-03-04T12:52:00.005-07:00

Kamut Pancakes again. I used the squirt bottle technique to make heart shapes this time. Layered with strawberries and cream this was simple to make, and lovely to consume. The strawberries were macerated overnight in sugar and crushed soft green peppercorns. The peppercorns add a bright tangy flavor to the juice that releases from the strawberries. I find it delightful. I've eaten it with whole peppercorns instead, but they are much more intense and thus better paired with something a bit heavier (like a big dish of vanilla bean icecream—I got this from the dessert menu at Café Madrid, a favorite restaurant of ours in Salt Lake City).

A Painting for the Taylors and a purple headdress

2009-03-03T23:58:00.004-07:00

I did this painting for my sister's front room. When I got out the camera it was to take a picture of the painting in progress, but the photo seems to be more about a certain purple headdress in the bottom left, don't you think?

The final painting. Hmmm . . . I'm not sure which one I like best, the final, or the "in progress" version. It would be lovely to have both. This is the framed final version hanging on Jennifer's wall. I really like the frame with it.

The Lion and the Lamb

2009-03-03T20:52:00.001-07:00

Janet made this outfit for Josh when he was a baby.

Toddling

2009-02-20T09:47:00.002-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I wanted to have the slides move super quickly to give the effect of a lurching, wobbly toddler, but you may have to click through as fast as you can to get that effect as I can't seem to get the pics to move very fast from one to the next. Little boy has been walking for two months now, but really took off and started cruising only one month ago.

Peek-a-boo

2009-02-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

Kamut Pancakes

2009-02-19T14:00:00.006-07:00

These are my favorite pancakes. I like them thin, but with a light, fluffy texture inside.

1 large egg
1 cup kamut flour
1 1/4 cup milk (add a little more if you want the pancakes even thinner)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons oil (I usually use olive oil)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt

Oil the griddle or skillet and heat to medium low. Meanwhile, fill a plastic squeeze bottle with the batter (think honey bear, or ketchup bottle with the pointed tip). When a drop of water in the pan sizzles and dances around the pan is hot enough. Use the bottle of batter to draw fun shapes in the pan. When pancake is covered with bubbles, and fairly dry around the edges flip and cook on the other side for about 15 to 30 seconds (give or take, depending on how hot your pan is).

My second favorite recipe is Janet's whole wheat & flax pancake. Someday I'll find that and post it too.

Butterflies, Princesses & Ponies for the Birthday Girl

2009-02-19T13:04:00.011-07:00

We started the glorious morning with delectable kamut pancakes in delightful shapes. I put the pancake batter in a plastic squeezable bottle with a pointed tip (like the ketchup bottles or honey bears). It makes it relatively easy to create detailed shapes such as

a butterfly,

a princess crown,

or an initial.

Shiny butterflies adorned the invitations for the party held in the afternoon. We folded the wings before gluing to help them get their flight on.

Princess attire was the only appropriate form of dress for the occasion.The party started with plenteous carousel rides.
Then we had a royal feast of butterfly-shaped pb&js, and fanciful crudités cut out with cookie cutters.
More carousel riding ensued, followed by butterfly birthday cake (100% whole grain, and DELICIOUS!)

Softened Butter

2009-02-19T10:35:00.004-07:00

I often make recipes (like cakes) that call for softened butter. Of course, I rarely plan ahead so I need a way to soften the butter quickly without melting it. My favorite method is to slice the butter into about 1/4 inch slices (1 tablespoon or a little less each). I sometimes turn the oven on for a minute then turn it off, open it and put the plate of sliced butter in the open oven. I leave it there, for a few minutes (with the door still open), and it's ready.

Chocolate Class for Enrichment

2009-02-19T10:32:00.004-07:00

I taught a class about chocolate and made a whole bunch of my favorite recipes that use chocolate for everyone to samp. Here are the chocolate kamut cupcakes.

Snow shoeing

2009-02-19T10:29:00.002-07:00

I only went once this season. I know, it's shameful. I certainly don't take advantage of the snow like I could. It was fun though...we packed the babies with us. Hopefully I'll go another time or two before the snow disappears.

Felt Crafties

2009-02-10T00:23:00.003-07:00

I've been making little felt flowers and attaching them to pins, hair elastics and the like. I'm trying to use up scraps left over from the felt Christmas crafts I did in November.

My mom and sister have been crafting away as well making quite a number of little lovelies. Here are just a few of the first ones we made.

Valentine's Day Goodies / Candy Rings

2009-01-30T09:00:00.002-07:00

I got excited about making candy rings and this is my first try. I made some to give as Valentine's Day gifts...shhh, don't tell! First I made some from a traditional hard candy recipe. They worked pretty well. Then I tried some using agave syrup. They also worked pretty well, plus they're much easier on the body. The agave candy doesn't get quite as hard as the traditional hard candy, but it is clear and tastes nice. It's the easiest recipe ever:

Ingredient: agave (as much or as little as you like)

Directions:

1 Heat agave syrup in a saucepan on High until it reaches 330 degrees Farenheit or until the syrup forms a hard ball when dropped in ice water.

2 Pour hot syrup into greased candy molds, or onto a sheet of greased parchment paper or a silicone mat.

3 Let cool for 20 min or until completely cooled, then remove candy from molds and eat! You can dust them with powdered sugar then package in an airtight container to save for later.

Helping Opa plow the snow

2009-01-28T08:02:00.002-07:00

Brmmmm, Brrrrrrmmm

2009-01-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Cake Recipe

2009-01-27T11:03:00.002-07:00

Here is the chocolate cake recipe I make all the time (at least every other month).

Moist and Tender Devil's Food Cake

Regular, or natural, cocoa like Hershey's can be used with good results, though the cakes will bake up a bit drier, redder, and with slightly less chocolate flavor. If you don’t have a standing mixer don’t worry, an electric hand mixer works fine.

Makes three 8-inch cakes

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups water (boiling)
1 1/2 cup whole grain kamut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table salt
8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, plus extra for greasing pans
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract { 2 to 3 drops of coffee flavoring can be added to make a deeper chocolate flavor }

( This cake is very light and fluffy, sometimes even crumbly because the kamut has less gluten than wheat. Sometimes I add an extra egg to counter this, although I usually do not add the extra egg and it still works beautifully. )

1. Adjust oven rack to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, grease three 8-inch cake pans with butter and line bottom of each pan with parchment paper round. Combine chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl; pour boiling water over and whisk until smooth. Sift together flours, baking soda, and salt onto large sheet parchment or waxed paper; set aside.

2. Place butter in bowl of standing mixer and beat at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to medium-high and add eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Reduce speed to medium; add sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined, about 10 seconds. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl. With mixer on low, add about one third of flour mixture, followed by about one half of chocolate mixture. Repeat, ending with flour mixture; beat until just combined, about 15 seconds. Do not overbeat. Remove bowl from mixer; scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix gently to thoroughly combine.

3. Divide batter evenly among cake pans, smooth batter to edges of pan with rubber spatula. If baking three 8-inch cakes, place two pans on lower-middle rack and one on upper-middle rack. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 23 minutes for 8-inch cakes (My cake pans are pretty heavy duty and actually require a longer cooking time by at least 5 minutes, sometimes more. Start checking at this point though). Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes. Run knife around pan perimeter to loosen. Invert cakes onto large plate; peel off parchment, and reinvert onto lightly greased rack. Cool completely before icing.

How a foodie family does Sunday dinner

2009-01-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

Family dinner with the Blackies is a major affair. We usually arrive around 5 to 5:30. Janet has usually already decorated the dining room. She'll often decorate to follow the theme for the day. This one is Easter dinner 2008.

Everyone snacks a bit either on appertizers someone has prepared, or a dish that get finished before the rest. This time Janet had made a bread bunny, with dip in the belly and veggies all around. Note the darling radish mice!
Sometimes we bring our dishes already made, but there is often still work to do to get the meal ready. The finished serving plates are moved to the dining room.

Everyone dishes up and we eat. Sometimes we don't all get to sit down at the same time. If everything isn't ready simultaneously we go in and out, and eat as we go, but this time we made it all together.I don't know how many recipes we made for this Easter dinner, but we've been known to have up to 27 recipes created for one meal (although it's usually closer to 7 recipes per meal). We've eaten a lot of delicious things this last year since the tradition got started. Thanks to Bridgette for helping get us started on a fun family event. Although we've always gotten together to eat over the years, about a year ago Bridgette started talking about doing themed meals and bringing her multitudinous cookbooks and recipes resources to family dinners to get us all on board. It didn't take long, as everyone is into food around here. Thanks to Janet for the great setting, the fun space and fun toys for the kids to play with while all the adult foodies revel in food fun, and thanks to her for her good spirits and patience in the midst of the chaos. Thanks to Donny for being a great "dish monster". And lastly, thanks to everyone else for all the amazing food, and fun times.

Hide and Seek

2009-01-25T22:23:00.005-07:00

This little boy's favorite hiding spot is in the small space between the piano, the couch, and the side tables in the corner of the living room.

Playing, reading, eating the camera lens cap

2009-01-25T21:38:00.006-07:00

It surely sounds presumptuous or maybe vain, but it's true, my babies are the cutest ever! I mean, just look at this little guy. Have you ever seen anything cuter? (Don't answer that, I know you haven't!!) A friend once told me that every parent's baby is the the most beautiful in the world...which is surely also true, and that's how it should be. I love shooting pics in this room because of the warm buttery yellow walls, and the lovely diffusion of light due to the thick white curtains covering the south facing window. It's a comforting, warm place with soft light, and looks yummy, like yellow cake with buttercream frosting. (See pms 1345)

Jack loves Sister

2009-01-25T21:32:00.003-07:00

Wow, that wall looks bright!
"Following Sister made me tired."

Kamut Zuchini Yellow cake with Cranberries

2009-01-25T15:11:00.007-07:00

These cupcakes were delicious!! I mixed dried cranberries into the batter before baking, then candied freeze-dried cranberries for the garnish. The candied cranberries were a bit hard to chew, so although they looked beautiful and tasted wonderful, they weren't completely perfect. This is my own recipe.

Zucchini Yellow Cake

Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins

3 eggs
1 cup butter (2 sticks) or “Earth Balance” or “Smart Balance”
1¾ cups sugar (can use turbinado sugar)
2 cups grated zucchini (for a drier cake squeeze out excess water after shredding)
5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups whole grain kamut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup dessicated coconut (optional; this makes the cake more dense)
1 cup chocolate chips or dried fruit (optional; for best results soak fruit in warm water before adding to mixture)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans or a 9x13 cake pan (grease liberally) or line with parchment paper then spray lightly with cooking oil spray. Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the butter till light and fluffy. Cream in the sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating on high for about 10 seconds after each egg is added. Mix in vanilla. Mix in zucchini.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as coconut, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix just until fully incorporated. Do not overmix. Pour batter into pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 18 to 25 minutes. Cake pans usually take at least 30 minutes.

When completely cooled frost with ganache or cream cheese frosting (or both... a thin layer of each. You can frost before they're cooled, just make sure they get chilled afterward.)

Note: Here is a variation for delicious cookies. Make sure to squeeze excess water from the zuchini; add 1/4 cup of rolled oats at the end. Cookies will spread so leave at least 3 inches between cookies. Make sure to bake on parchment paper. I like to spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking oil to make it easier to remove the cookies. Make sure cookies have cooled completely before removing from tray. Bake till golden brown. Start checking for doneness after 15 minutes.
Note: It is very important to make sure the cakes are COMPLETELY cool before eating. I recommend refrigerating them for at least 20 minutes. The reason: cakes with vegetables added taste nasty when warm. You have to chill the cakes, then they taste great!

Pretzel Time

2009-01-25T10:35:00.004-07:00

Josh made pretzels. The best were the sandwiches...pretzel bread, butter, pickle, salami. Delish! Our resident pretzel tester, after some deliberation, approves heartily.

Noodle Noodle, who's got the noodle?

2009-01-25T09:22:00.012-07:00

Josh made homemade noodles the other day. It was a fun experiment. He starts with a dough log that he whacks on the counter again and again, folding it in half between whacks, lengthening it, developing the gluten, allowing it to stretch and lengthen more, until the dough can stretch into thin strands without breaking apart.

Checking the elasticity of the dough.Voila! He's got noodles!We ate them dipped in soba sauce. Tasty!

Here is the project supervisor. I think she approved the new product.

Felt Gingerbread House toys

2009-01-25T09:12:00.005-07:00

For the December 2008 Beehive Bazaar I made some felt gingerbread houses and felt Christmas trees. They are quiet toys for kids (or adults!). I always loved playing with flannel boards when I was a kid and really wanted some cute toys like that for our collection. They double as darling decorations —wow, I use a lot of alliteration— for the Christmas season. A not-so-sticky version of the traditional cookie and candy creations.

Crafties

2009-01-25T08:49:00.003-07:00

Here are some paintings I've been working on and the beginning of a papier mache deer I sold at the Beehive Bazaar. Sadly, I never got good pics of the finished deer.

A little bit of loveliness

2009-01-25T08:03:00.003-07:00

Elmo got all dressed up with beautiful flowers M entwined around him. Isn't he lovely? And she is oh so lovely as well, with her lovely up do, and snuggling into her pretty princess bed.

No Cussing!

2009-01-25T08:02:00.001-07:00

Josh and I were watching the Tonight Show with Jay Leno a few nights ago and this kid was on. He is so cool. He's only 14 but he started this club with some of his friends at school and the club now has more than 30,000 members worldwide. It is the "No Cussing Club". What 14-year-old has the guts to start something like that at their school? I was impressed. Anyways, here's the link to his website...check it out.

http://www.nocussing.com/

Frilly Pink Birthday Cake

2009-01-06T20:51:00.006-07:00

I decided to make myself a big birthday cake this year. It took all day on my birthday to make it, but that was a treat in itself. The babes were all well-behaved and amazingly self-sufficient on my birthday, and Josh was busy with food prep for the Christmas Eve party so I revelled in cake heaven and frosting frills to my heart's content. And yes, it is a healthy 100% whole-grain cake (I used kamut flour I ground). Now, I can't extend that same praise to the frosting, as it is purely butter and sugar — no redemptive qualities beyond it's glorious good looks, sensational smoothness and perfect peppermint flavoring. Thanks to my good neighbor for taking these photographs as I am still without camera (the situation is getting dire!). BTW, you'll notice part of me in the background of the second photo... wearing the stylish apron my sil gave me and a pink shirt so I could match the cake during the party (HA—just kidding about the matching, but I do love a bright pink shirt for a party). And to sidetrack a little, yes, those are real squash in the background of the third picture. There is a buttenut squash, a spaghetti squash and two different kinds of pumpkins on top of that pink shelf. I've been storing and using them ever since October when I purchased them (we had a bad garden this last year) for Fall decorations. Last year I think I started the winter with over 30 squash from my own garden sitting around my kitchen. It took all winter to use them up.

Mean Mommy

2008-12-29T10:15:00.002-07:00

Mavis slept over at Nama's house last night. I brought her some clothes to wear the next morning. This dress is one I made to sell at the Beehive Bazaar (obviously, it didn't sell). I guess she doesn't like it, but I made her put it on anyway. I also made the headband to match the dress. Now, to be honest, I was trying to be a little sneaky. I can't get her to wear any of the dresses I made, but often, if I can't get her to wear something I want her to when I'm helping her get dressed at home all I have to do is bring it along somewhere else when I know she'll need a change of clothes and she'll change right in to whatever I bring, no problem. I've done this many times when I want her to wear some outfit that she's averse to. Anyways, my trickster ways didn't work this time. She was really mad.

Moss Green and earthiness and birds

2008-12-27T21:57:00.004-07:00

This is an illustration that I think is by the same person who made this lovely little movie showing what I think are photos of moss covered plants with sweet animated illustrations incorporated. I found the link to it on my husband's cousin's blog. It is very satisfying to watch, and filled a need for some earthy browns and greens in my evening.

Jack's New Skills

2008-12-19T08:39:00.002-07:00

Jack learned to climb down the stairs 3 days ago. It happened when Josh tripped over the gate that sits on two stairs separating the kitchen/dining area from the family room. When he tripped on the gate he also broke it so Jack tried going up and down those two stairs. Right away he turned himself around and reached his foot down toward the next stair. We were excited that he wouldn't be falling headfirst down the stair anymore. The next day he descended the entire full-size staircase. Way to go little guy!

dead camera blues

2008-12-15T21:07:00.002-07:00

I haven't been able to find the charger for my camera battery. It's been a long time and the camera battery is dead. It's terrible. I couldn't take any good pictures of my Beehive Bazaar crafties, nor any good pics of the chilluns. I miss my camera!!! That's part of why I've only posted twice in the past two months. The other reason is that I was too busy crafting away. Blue, blue, blue (pms 5404 c).

I'm having my next baby here

2008-12-09T13:15:00.005-07:00

I found this info on this fun blog.

The article originated here.

p.s. No, I'm not pregnant, but I think it's a great idea, and we all can use more pms 210 (pink) in our lives

Four Faves (sort of)

2008-11-12T11:20:00.005-07:00

Four places that I go to over and over: my desk (that's where my computer resides), the kitchen, the neighbor's house across the street, church

Four people who e-mail me regularly: Hailey (a friend), Netflix, Anthropologie, Janet

My four {plus a few more} favorite places to eat: Avec (in Chicago), MK (in Chicago), Pizzeria 712 (in Orem), Home (Josh is the best chef). Gosh, it's hard to limit to four here... I also love Thai Evergreen (next to Walmart in Orem), Spark (fun new place at 86 N University in Provo), Settebello (pizzeria at 200 West and 250 South in SLC), Cafe Trang, Pearl (cool sushi/asian place in SF), Tartine (best bakery ever, also in San Francisco), Bongo Room and Orange (breakfast places in Chicago), Thailand (everything was great there), Kua Aina (in Haleiwa on the North Shore)

Four places I would rather be right now: The BEACH (always the winning answer!)... getting a massage, or napping in a sauna, or swimming (rather soaking: think Lava Hot Springs), eating warm soup and bread (or something else yummy) with Josh.

Four favorite colors: Green spruce, Lagoon, Canton, grass green {see Colorstrology ...most of these colors are found in the December category, including on my bday }

The Piano Man

2008-11-04T07:10:00.003-07:00

Jack is just barely tall enough to reach the keys on the piano. He is delighted by it. If I sit down with him at the piano and play songs he gets really excited. Mavis never cared much for the piano, but Jack really likes it lately.

Purple Cabbage Rolls

2008-11-02T23:49:00.004-07:00

Based on a recipe from Bridgette, I made these cabbage rolls. They were a huge success! Mavis devoured them. I would have followed the recipe exactly, but I didn't want to run to the store, so I just used what I had: purple cabbage instead of green, red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar, no red wine, fresh tomatoes instead of canned, garlic powder instead of fresh garlic cloves. ¡Wow! This recipe is a keeper, and super good for the Fall what with the rich colors, the heartiness and the warmth of it. Filling the cabbage leaves is a mix of ground pork and ground beef with fresh grated nutmeg and allspice that deepen the richness of the dish and make it interesting, although it does not cross over into the realm of exotic. For those who stay away from adventurous food, this is more than safe and you will LOVE it. At the same time, it somehow still manages to go beyond boring for the rest of us who thrill at the thought of new savory sensations. And now that you're all dying to get your hands on the recipe — hahahahaha —I cannot give it out since it's not mine. I'll look into it though and see what I can do for you.

Workout Barbie

2008-11-02T21:53:00.002-07:00

Okay, just one more Halloween costume. This one was really a winner. She gets an "A" for style, for craftsmanship, for concept. She even has an accessory jump rope attached to the inside of the packaging. What a babe! The box is a delicious pms 218c.

Halloween Dance at the Caldees' place

2008-11-01T22:59:00.006-06:00

Witches fingers (breadsticks with almond fingernails . . . I stole this creepy idea from the fun party we went to last week).Winners: "The Best Tights Couple"
We were delighted that Sarah Palin joined our party.
The Asian crew wearing real kimonos, Thai shirts, authentic fisherman pants and special hats (including an upturned rice steamer basket hat).
Josh's delicious clam chowder.
Ursula, the bad sea witch from "The Little Mermaid". Appropriate costume for Granna Leslie considering Mavis dressed as Ariel.
Grandma Helen grew some extra legs too!
Becky's cute ghosties.
Tall & tasty breadsticks. Josh also made two trays of the best focaccia.
More witches fingers. Jennifer crafted these from carrots. Creepy.

Cutest Halloween Costumes

2008-10-31T12:52:00.003-06:00

These are my nieces, and I just couldn't resist posting these pics of them in their Halloween Costumes. They are sooo adorable!! Hopefully Erin doesn't mind me showing off her kids (she took these lovely photos).

A nice girl pumpkin

2008-10-30T22:28:00.002-06:00

Mavis wanted me to make her pumpkin a "nice, girl one." So I complied.

Visiting Great Grandma

2008-10-30T22:16:00.005-06:00

We certainly don't visit Great-grandma Virginia Irons enough. She lives in Nephi. She's in her late nineties. She patted our hands a lot, and rubbed them as we held her hands. She couldn't hear us very well, and didn't speak at all. We woke her from her nap. Jack kept trying to jump around and climb on Grandma. We had to be vigilant in restraining him so as not to leaver her injured from our visit. Mavis wore her Halloween costume, although she had to remove the wig to eat her snack (yams) before we left.

Dinglehoppers for the Ariel Princesses

2008-10-30T11:44:00.006-06:00

Today the girls (Mavis and her friend Sophia) got to wear costumes to preschool (even the teacher dressed up). They were lucky enough to both be Ariel, the adored, complete with astounding and beautiful red wigs (I don't know if Pantone makes such a vibrant color as this neon red! I didn't know anyone could, but a somewhat close match is pms red 032). They were also supplied with dinglehoppers to comb their lovely locks.

Spooky Halloween Party with Friends

2008-10-27T20:42:00.005-06:00

Witches FingersGhostie-berries

Scary Little Monsters

An Alien Witch

Wearing the head of Jack Skellington
(from the piñata)

The Rush for Piñata Candy

These pics are from a party at Jonathan & Maira's place. Maira made the sweet piñata (one of the best I've ever seen!!) and all the spooky treats. I just wish I had a better picture of the Jack Skellington piñata and a picture of the amazing chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles, including disgustingly realistic eyeball noodles. I tasted one and although it tasted as good as the rest of the noodles, I still couldn't eat any more because they looked too real—SICKening!

Foodie Training

2008-10-26T21:32:00.003-06:00

Relatively speaking, Mavis is a great eater. She eats all kinds of things that other kids wouldn't touch. I like to flatter myself that it's because I've taught her well, although it's very likely that her palate naturally tolerates a broader range of flavors than that of most other kids. There are, however, times when I just cannot get her to eat what I'm serving. On one such occasion she hoped I wouldn't notice the two bowls she'd stacked to form a little hiding place for some undesirables.

Although she wouldn't eat her green beens and cukes that day (strange too because cukes are one of her all-time favorite foods) I did convince her to partake of this delicious goulash I invented.

The Witches

2008-10-26T21:08:00.000-06:00

'jama boy and blankie girl

2008-10-26T20:30:00.001-06:00

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Collage

2008-10-25T16:23:00.003-06:00

Here we see the progression of the family tree collage honoring the women of my mother's family, both past and present. My cousin Lindsey initiated a "Ladies Lunch" at which we gathered to hear stories about our female ancestors, share a delicious spread of soup and sandwiches (perfected on the George, of course), and collaborate on an artistic representation of the stories we heard, as well as our own stories. What a delightful day! Hopefully the collage will be able to travel to different homes of sisters in our family over the years. We've left room for more details to be added by those who couldn't attend, or those may become part of our family in the future. Also, there are quite a few details I still need to add to elaborate on the stories of our female ancestors pictured in the collage. I shall post the finished artwork eventually for all to see. I hope to bring the canvas to our Thanksgiving feast to solicit a bit of help in finishing up some of the details. Thanks for all who were there and helped make the Ladies Lunch such a success.

colorstrology again

2008-10-25T09:46:00.002-06:00

I just realized that the illustration of me at the top of my blog employs, more than any other color, MY color from the colorstrology site. Notice the greenish-bluish color of my skirt, and the left side of my shirt, and the hair barrette, and the top of my glasses? That is my color!! I knew it felt good when I read and saw my color, but I hadn't realized that I'd actually used it to depict myself in the blog masthead illustration. Very telling.

An amber glow

2008-10-25T01:11:00.006-06:00

I took all of these without a flash, which means longer exposures, less clarity, more movement. I've been trying it a lot lately and the blurred images, with their amber glow from the incandescent light bulbs, appeal to me. There's something soft, warm, sensuous about it. I feel closer to the subject, and in a kind of dream land. Enchanting & appropriate for the setting — Amber & Keith's wedding reception.

Dolly digs pretzel chips

2008-10-25T00:10:00.002-06:00

Mavis "accidentally" brought this dolly home from her friend's house one afternoon. Soon after the dolly got lost. Later on, Granna was reaching into a bag of pretzel chips to retrieve a little snack, when to her surprise she discovered the tiny dolly holding tightly to a pretzel chip. It appears she's actually taking a nibble.

To Infinity and beyoooooond!

2008-10-24T23:35:00.005-06:00

First, one must prepare and gain strength through a nutritious dinner of yams.

Next, the audience must be arranged.

Ascending to the summit follows, and arms are raised in preparation for flight to Infinity and BEYOOOOOOOOND!