Saturday, July 31, 2010

Monster Cookies And Boys

The other night I had a house full of boys. One thing I've learned over the years is that boys lovvvveee these monster cookies. Maybe it has to do with the name. I got this recipe from my mom and they are the best cookies.

1 cup butter softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup multi colored M&M's HINT: Use more. I use the entire bag.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet. Beat together butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, and add to butter mixture. Mix well. Stir in M&M's. Drop dough by quater cup full onto cookie sheet placing cookies 3" a part. Flatten cookies with a slightly floured fork. Bake for about 13 min. (DON"T OVER BAKE) or until edges are golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 3 min. then remove to a cooling rack.

SOOOO GOOD!

IDEA:
For sporting events I will bake a bunch of these with the boys team colors.

Happy Cookies!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

My Man Thursday Ralph Fiennes

My Man Thursday 7/28/2010 is Ralph Fiennes
Who can resist this brooding man.  I love him because he is older than me. Well, that's one of the reasons.
Here are a few more:
He has been is several good movies but my favorite is the English Patient even though I cried through most of the movie. I hate sad movies but this one I tolerate because it's so beautiful. The music, the setting, the story oh my!
 My husband calls it a downer. Hmmm he is right but its soooo good. 

Ralph was also really good in the Constant Gardener, and Sunshine and The End Of The Affair and and I  could go on but I won't.
Hopefully, he will play a good guy in Nanny McPhee Returns.

Mad Men Yourself

I LOOVVVEEEE MAD MEN!

So my friend told me about Mad Men yourself. Check this out: Made Men Yourself

This is me in Mad Men.



This is me meeting Don for drinks after a hard day of shopping.
 But Don is kinda a jerk so I tossed my drink in his face and left the bar soon after.  

 I had so much fun creating myself that I almost burnt dinner.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

A Selkie Love Story




Sometimes it's so hard to find good movies to watch. I'm very picky. So when I find one I like, I have to share. Here is one you must see if you are a romantic like me. ONDINE.

It's so good. I really enjoyed it. As the days go by I think about it more and more.

Put it in your queue on Netflix. It's a must see or I think you can still see it On Demand (not sure about that).

Without giving too much away it's about a fisherman, Colin Farrell, who finds a woman in his fishing net and thinks she might be a selkie. A female selkie is a seal that can shed her skin when she comes on land. If her seal coat is found she must become a wife.
Another really good movie that has the same selkie myth is Secret Of Roan Inish

This movie is a classic that my boys enjoy watching also.


Monday, July 26, 2010

Flock Of Bird Magnets

As promised here is the tutorial for the bird magnets. By the way, the photos don't do them justice they are so cute.


What you will need:

Tiny birds- You can find these in the floral section of the craft store. I also got some antique ones from my mom. Mom's are always good sources of this and that.
E6000 glue
Glitter
Magnetic Discs
Exacto knife
Glue pin
Shank Button Remover or Wire cutters

First take your bird and cut off the wires (if they have them) from their feet. Then pick the least attractive side of the bird and slice a thin small chunk of the birds side off so the magnetic has a flat surface to attach to. This is now the back side. 

Next I tapped a few drops of the liquid glue pin on the paper so I could use my finger to spread it very thinly over the birds wings and or body. The glue pin works best because the glue is liquid and easy to apply to delicate wings.

Then I sprinkled glitter over the bird on the parts I wanted to highlight. You only need to put glitter on the front side of the bird.

After the glitter was set I turned the bird over to the back side and dabbed a bit off E-6000 on the flat surface and added my magnetic disc. Let this dry for a good long time. Maybe over night.
Voila!


Aren't they cute?

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Birds Of A Feather Sneak Peak



I have been in Eugene, Oregon, the track capital of the world, and
 the home of the University of Oregon Ducks. Go Ducks!

So I've not been able to blog.
We just got home and it is 90 some degrees that translates to we are heading to the pool.
But I wanted to give you a sneak peak of what I have been working on. I'm making
bird magnets. I will give a tutorial and more photos tomorrow once I can sit down and breathe
.
Have a great Sunday.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

My Man Thursday

My Man Thursday 7/22/10 Is Daniel Craig

Yes, he isn't really pretty but who wants pretty in a hero.
Some of his movies are a little interesting i.e. The Mother but I do like his acting
and he is very intense.
He is the perfect James Bond even with blond hair.
I love him in Layer Cake. He is also good in Enduring Love.

I read somewhere that he is signed on to play Mikael Blomkvist in
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. He will be perfect I already know it. But who will
play Lisbeth? It couldcompletely ruin the film if they pick some
Hollywood superstar. By the way Noomi Rapace did a
wonderful job in the Swedish version of The Girl With The
Dragon Tattoo. She was brilliant.

Back to this boy. He has a certain something.
Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

What I'm Working On

I know it's not back to school time yet. And I'm sorry to even bring it up but I thought I would show you want I've been working on~My Countdown To School Wall Hanging.

The photo doesn't do it justice but you get the idea.

The cool thing about this countdown is each box slides open revealing a secret compartment for you to put messages of encouragement, little candy bars, candy, or coupons for a trip to the toy store, maybe a free movie day whatever you can think up.
You could use each box to represent the weeks before school starts. You could ending on the morning of the day they go back to school. It might make the morning more enjoyable. Or you could open one box a day for the days before school starts. 
In our house we open one box a day for the days prior to school starting. 
This builds excitement and some years its eased the pain of returning to school.
 I will be putting this countdown on Etsy in the next couple of days.
The wall hanging in about 35" in length.



Enjoy


Sunday, July 18, 2010

We Took The Fruit Loop


Today we grabbed our camera's and left Portland to drive up The Gorge to Hood River, Oregon.
Hood River is reported to be the wind surfing capital of the world. And I can believe it. The wind never stopped blowing but the weather was beautiful and warm.

We had lunch at Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub. It was very good. Highly recommend it if you are ever in the area.



Lots O' Wind

After roaming around the cute little town we hopped in the car and headed off on the Fruit Loop.

This little drive winds through the country side. Past fruit stand after fruit stand. Winery after winery all the while in the shadow of Mt. Hood. The drive was beautiful. We had a great time stopping and taking photos. The boys loved taking their own camera's.



We can't wait to come back in the fall.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Summer Sheets

When I think about summer I think about a clothesline full of fresh sheets blowing in the warm gentle breeze. My yard is way to small for this. But I made my own mini version with mini sheets and clothespins.

This tiny version looks so cute hanging amongst the birch trees.



Ahhh summer dreaming

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

My Man Thursday

Tom Hardy is My Man Thursday July 15, 2010
There is something so intense about this actor. I love watching him.
Here are some of my favorite Tom Hardy movies.

Oh Heathcliff! Grab a hankie. His hair is the only
thing that bothers me in this Masterpiece production.


The Virgin Queen. This such a good movie I had to buy it.
I watch it over and over again. Anne Marie Duff who plays Elizabeth is brilliant.

Tom in RocknRolla. It's a small role but he great.

Oliver Twist. He will make you almost find Bill Sikes attractive.
Cheers!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

An Elizabeth Bennet Keepsake

First off, I  must say, Colin Firth is Mr. Darcy to my way of thinking. Always has been always will be.

Now that I cleared that up, I will continue.

As I sat outside in our tiny backyard one fine summer day, rereading Pride and Prejudice, I started thinking about Elizabeth Bennet's life after marrying Mr. Darcy. I know there are a million books written on this topic. But I wanted to bring Elizabeth and Darcy's happiness home to my tangible world. 

Here's how I did it. 

Of course Elizabeth and Darcy lived happily ever after. We all agree on that but what did Lizzy
treasure as a keepsake? What did Darcy give her for their anniversaries?

I am sure whatever the gifts were she treasured all of them. But like most of you know, things break.
 Kids sometimes pull on your necklace and the pearls fall off the string.
You keep thinking you're going to get that necklace restrung but you don't.
Perhaps a favorite dress wears outs, or a a ribbon falls of a hat. Well, I think Elizabeth had the same issues.

With this train of thought I came up with
an idea I'd like to share with all you Jane Austen lovers.

 
First I downloaded the Jane Austen font for free Jane Austen Font
 The font is really beautiful. So I printed some of my favorite quotes from
Pride And Prejudice.
Come on who doesn't love, Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her
or You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you?

Once I printed those out on a tan cardstock I cut out the quotes and then distressed the edges
with Ranger Distress Ink in Vintage Photo. Next, I used a sharp
paper distresser around the edges so they looked crinkled and worn.

I also ran a black inkpad around the edges to add more depth and distressing.
Then I cut out and added some double sided adhesive paper to the back of the quote.
Next I chose a vintage glass bottle.
Remember the broken necklace and ribbon on the hat? Here's where that comes into play. I placed inside of the bottle a few pearls from Elizabeth's broken necklace Darcy had given her years ago, and a piece of ribbon from a favorite hat he had bought her on their third anniversary.

I also slipped a little note inside that Darcy had written Elizabeth.
It says something about, it taught him to hope as he had scarcely ever allowed himself to hope . . .
The note was one of Elizabeth's treausured notes from Darcy.

Next I put a cork on top of the bottle. I sawed off the excess cork so it was flush with the edge of the bottle.

Then I peeled off the back of the adhesive on the quote and stuck it on the glass bottle.

Elizabeth's keepsake is almost complete.

Finally, I grabbed some household wax I found on the canning aisle at the grocery store. I melted a brick of it in the oven. It only takes a second or two.


Once enough was melted, I dipped the bottle top into the wax. I repeated this several times so it created
a build up over the cork, so the cork was no longer visible.

On my first jar, I accidentally dropped the jar in the wax. After it dried I scrapped off some of the wax
but the rest I left because I loved the effect it had on the label and the bottle itself. It gave them a filmy aged looked that was very appealing.

On my next bottle I held my hand steady as I dipped the jar( and drank my coffee with
my other hand). The result is a different feel entirely but one I like.
Once the wax build up on the top of the jar made me happy, I tied some antique lace
around the neck of the bottle and some jute on the other.
Voila!

There you have it. Elizabeth Darcy's keepsake jar.

If you have a friend who loves Jane, as much as I do, wouldn't it be great to give her these
jars with a old copy of Pride and Prejudice?

You could even place the bottles in a flower basket like the basket Jane and Elizabeth
collected flowers in. Add a book to the basket and some tea and you have a wonderful girlfriend gift for any Jane Austen lover.

They lived happily ever after . .
The End

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