A Book Class and Retreat

My friend Kristine and I taught a handmade book class at the women's retreat we attended recently. We were invited to teach a craft and settled in on making small, handmade books we called "chap books," that could be used as a place to keep important quotes, fun pictures, memories, random thoughts, or interesting ephemera. Of course we had to wear old school aprons, both thrifted and full of someone's memories. The weekend was a wonderful way to relax, renew and remind ourselves why we do what we do and why it is so important to continue to seek ways to bring joy to ourselves and those around us. Don't their hands look beautiful and relaxed?

Singin' in the Rain

It was raining a bit last week and we've been loving our rain boots and hand-me-down raincoats.

And don't forget mama, in those orange polka dotted boots. I'm dancing in the rain just as much as those three little ones.

The Idea House

I have found my dream craft room and it is within walking distance of my house. Oh my, it is a beauty! Think anyone would notice if I casually pulled my minivan into the Bachman's parking lot in the middle of the night and casually absconded with the contents of this room? I think it would be perfect in our future farm house.Bachman's Floral and Garden Center, a Minneapolis landmark of sorts, is celebrating their 125th anniversary and has decided to feature this house that was built in the 1920's for some members of the Bachman's family on their property. It stayed in the family for quite some time, but it appears that up until recently it was a rental property and not very well maintained. They have now decided to host seasonal home decorating shows at the house, each of which will feature new things, seasonal ideas and general eye-candy for the people. It costs $5 to enter, but your entrance ticket can be used as a $5 coupon towards any home furnishing item in the store.

The dates are limited for each season, so make sure to check their calendar. Have you been yet? What was YOUR favorite room?

Happy Monday

I spent the weekend at a women's retreat. After having all the meals cooked for me and a schedule to follow with no one but myself to worry about, I am entirely relaxed. It was a beautiful, spring-shiny day here and I feel as alert and perky today as these tulips I recently had on the dining room table. Happy Monday to you. More details on the craft class I taught at the retreat soon!

Happy Easter

We celebrated Easter today at my parents' house. It was complete with a sunny day, an egg hunt, snuggles with the two new babies and lots of great food.

Have you made the challah from Artisan Bread in Five? Mmmm. What are you waiting for? It is THAT good.

Birthday Cakes

I love to bake cakes. I look forward to family birthday parties so I can look up a new recipe and try my hand at creating something beautiful and tasty. For Carl's family birthday party last week, I found a fun recipe in the latest Bon Appetit magazine for a classic Chocolate Mayonaise Cake. Yes, mayo sounds a bit wierd, but I've learned throughout my marriage to Ron that mayo has its place in the kitchen besides in sandwich making. He has taught me that it is a killer secret ingredient, usually better left unmentioned. (He makes a mean pot of chili with mayo!) The mayo takes the place of butter or oil and brings a very nice moistness to a cake. There's no strange residual mayonaise flavor at all.

The cake was great, though I had to call in my baking-pro friend Janet for a little advice on the frosting. It called for bittersweet chocolate not exceeding 61 % cacao. I had unsweetened chocolate on hand. I couldn't figure out if they were interchangeable and didn't have the computer on to google it, so Janet was able to give me a few tips. In the end, I used mostly unsweetened chocolate but replaced 2 oz of it with semisweet chocolate chips. The frosting was really nice to work with and not too sweet.

For Carl's kid birthday party, a small affair during the day over spring break, he wanted to bring in the fun. He had seen a photo of a cake Ron made when he was single and a cat owner: a kitty-litter cake. You bake a spice cake and a white cake, tear them up into crumbs, mix them together with two small boxes of vanilla pudding colored with grey or black food coloring. Once they are mixed, you put them in a new kitty litter box and serve with tootsie rolls molded into you-know-whats using a new cat scoop. Ron was happy to be the one to make Carl's 7 year-old birthday wishes come true.

New Babies

Cooper- 15 minutes old

I've been quite absent from here lately. Carl and Gus are on Spring break. When they're on break, we have great fun with many different activities and outings, but there's little time for myself or the computer.

.

Also, in the past 12 days we've had two babies arrive in my brother and sister's families... Edward and Cooper. The boys are 10 days apart and at least two pounds apart. I got to sit in on my sister's delivery and watch little Cooper come into this world.

.

Life is good in Minneapolis. I can't wait to see them together on Easter!

Multigenerational Chicks

I picked up an adorable kit at Paper Source last week. It is something that I'm sure I could have figured out myself, but sometimes, it is just nice to get all the pieces in one package.
.
The kids and I drove out to visit my grandma and thought that she might enjoy doing a craft project with us. The chicks were a huge hit! I can now see using the same idea and making squirrels, owls, bats and more....

Little Messes and Piles

Gus is into making little piles. He likes to leave them all over the house. He doesn't do it to be a pest or to drive me crazy, he just does it because he loves little things. This is the guy who at the age of two started a collection. We'd be out walking or at a park and he'd run up to us to tell us to put his _______ (fill in the blank with screw, nail, stick, rock, hair band, bead, eraser or anything small) in our pockets. Soon Ron began to store all these little things in a jar on our dresser. The jar became known as "the finding jar." Now these things are called his "findings."

.

"Hey Mom, can I sort out my findings?" is a common request when he has free time. Gus likes to climb up on a stool, grab the box of his stuff on our dresser, and lay it out on a tray. He manipulates, builds, plays, makes up stories, sorts, makes patterns and more. He can stay busy with his findings for hours. Hours.

.

I love this about him. I love when he plays with them. I love when he finds things that no one else in the world would notice on the ground. I love how it makes him smile.

.

What's a mom to do when he leaves them all over the house?

Happy Seventh Birthday, Carl!

Carl turns SEVEN today. Yes, that means I've been a mom for seven years too. Seven years ago today I went to work, taught a full day of classes and suddenly during my prep period at the end of the day, my water broke. Luckily I was prepared with extra clothes, but my adrenaline kicked in so much that I insisted on staying after with students to do detention and finish my sub plans. My brother drove me home from school and I sat down at the sewing machine in my underwear to finish sewing the curtains for the baby's room while I waited for Ron to come home. What? Yes, crazy. Crazy fun.

.

These past seven years have been a lot of crazy fun. Carl is a fun-loving guy, always up for a new adventure or to learn something new. A project? Yes, please. A bike ride? For sure. Some Lego time? Uh huh. Algo en espanol? Por supuesto. An episode of This Old House? He'd slay a dragon to do so.

.

I'm proud of you Carl. I love watching you with Gus and Louise. It is amazing to watch you take on new responsibilities like unloading and loading the dishwasher, vacuuming the basement, taking care of our dog. You impress me daily with your Spanish skills and interest in the world. You are a great cuddler, a super adventurer, a quick learn in the swimming pool, and a kind and thoughtful kid. You're silly, squirrely, and serious sometimes. You remember jokes that I forget one minute after hearing and love to tell (and listen to) stories. You can take a pile of nothing, and build it into something incredible. Like you. My Carl.

.

Happy Birthday, Big C!

A Bit 'O Green

We're not Irish, but it has never stopped us from celebrating with the best of them. Tonight we're off to an Irish dinner with my family... complete with cabbage, corned beef, onions, carrots, potatoes and soda bread. I've heard rumors that all of the appetizers are going to be green. This should be interesting.

.

Last night I got to eat a leprechaun... or, well, Janet's leprechaun bars. Isn't that what makes the green part of the minty chocolately brownies green?

Just Takin' Out the Compost

Does your compost pile look like mine does after a long, snowy winter?

Next fall we're going to have to remember to empty the bin out prior to the winter, so this vegetable and fruit explosion doesn't happen again. Yuck... or yum.... depending on your perspective. There's a mama cardinal that likes to drop by for bits of fruit, a raccoon that has been known to haul off egg shells and coffee filters filled with grounds (WHY??) and our dog seems to enjoy sharing apple and pear cores with the dog next door.

I like to think about the rich, beautiful soil that we'll be able to harvest as soon as it thaws and the life that will come forth from the cast-off scraps.

When I'm cleaning the kitchen after the kids go to bed and take the compost bucket outside in the dark, I often think of a funny story about my friend/former roommate Stephanie. Just out of college we lived on Franklin Avenue in the Wedge area of Minneapolis... a safe-enough area, but also potentially not-so-safe. Late one evening she was walking out to the compost pile in a dark, shadowy area of the yard when an unsavory character stumbled by, obviously drunk or worse, mumbling. He noticed her, moved closer and tried to engage her in conversation. Instead of running for her life, she said, "I'm just takin' out the compost." He departed immediately.