First Day 2010.

You'd never guess it by this photo, but these three were giddy with excitement this morning.  They were cheerful, kind to one another, helpful. . .now if I could only figure out how to make every morning as pleasant.

Three things I always want to remember about the First Day 2010:

1.  The second Easton jumped in the van he declared "Mrs. Kuffel is flippin' AWESOME! She treats us like adults and let us make all the rules!"

2.  Abigail found a note I had written in her lunch bag but told me she was too embarrassed to read the joke I included to any of her friends.

3.  While I was walking Owen into his classroom to drop off his backpack before school started he said "I don't know why, but I can't keep my eyes from watering."  I'd like to think he was having the same emotions I was experiencing, but it was probably just the air conditioning getting to him.

New Buttons + Some Info.

Dears, Let me direct your attention to the cute PROJECT:craft button Lindsay made.  It links directly to our Eventbrite page where you can purchase your ticket.  There are still spots left and Lindsay and I would love to see your faces there.

I have received a few questions regarding PROJECT: craft and I'd like to address those now.

Question: I'm not really crafty, can I still come?

Answer: YES! Please come.  You don't have to have a degree in fine arts to come and have an enjoyable time.

Question: What if I don't have a project to bring to work on?

Answer: No worries!  Each attendee will get a craft kit upon entering.  You can work on that, sit + chat, eat our yummy refreshments, and keep your fingers crossed during the giveaways.

Question: I have an etsy shop/blog/website and I'd like to donate to the giveaways during PROJECT:craft.  Is that possible?

Answer: Absolutely!  Lindsay and I have already rounded up some great prizes and we would love to have more.  Your etsy shop/blog/website will be advertised during PROJECT: craft and in the posts on our blogs leading up to the event.

Question:  What are you going to be working on that night?

Answer:  I've had a sweet cross stitch idea in my brain for a long time that I want to work on that night.  Other options: cutting out pattern pieces, updating baby's memory book, scrapbooking, card making, sewing, knitting, the options are endless friends.  You can bring anything and we'll make accommodations for you.

Now, I'd like to direct your attention to the other new button on my sidebar.  A few months ago I was contacted by a PR firm working with my church.  They invited me to participate in virtual blogger conference where they would be seeking feedback from bloggers regarding the updated Mormon.org website.  They also invited me to create my very own profile on Mormon.org to share with the world.  By clicking on the button, you'll be sent directly to my Mormon.org profile page where I share a little bit more about my conversion and my testimony of the Gospel. I also answer some questions regarding my faith.  I'll be answering more questions in the future so check back often.  Or if you'd like to ask me a question directly, please don't hesitate to send me an email.

This is our last official weekend of the summer.  I plan on making the final preparations for our annual Back to School Feast + maybe taking in the county fair.  We'll see if my allergies can hold up.

Kisses!

Raspberry Cream Cake.

A couple of months ago we met up with a large portion of our extended family for dinner + dessert.  Dessert is always a highlight at occasions such as this, but this dessert. . .this raspberry confection has been on my mind ever since.  Last week I finally broke down and called our cousin Debie for the recipe.  Friends, this was my first attempt at a big girl cake {in case you're wondering, a big girl cake can have nothing to do with a 9X13 pan} and I was so happy with the results.  It was delicious and pretty. Win-win.  You have to make one.

Raspberry Cream Cake

2 boxes white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines moist deluxe)

2 2/3 c water

6 large egg whites

4 Tbs. melted butter

2 tsp almond extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix and Bake in 2- 9 inch round cake pans at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Let cool and remove from pans.

Filling:

4 c powdered sugar

4 Tbs soft butter

1 tsp vanilla

10 Tbs heavy cream

Mix powdered sugar, soft butter and vanilla.  Slowly add in cream one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.  Spread filling over the bottom layer cake and then place the second cake on top.

Frosting:

2 c heavy cream

2/3 c powdered sugar.

12 ounces mashed raspberries

Whip cream and powdered sugar together until stiff.  Fold in raspberries.  Spread over cake.

Once the cake was frosted, I got busy working on the white chocolate curls.  Debie said creating the curls would be a lesson in trial and error.  She was right.  

You'll need a box of Baker's white chocolate squares to begin.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave according to package directions.  Once the chocolate is melted, spread it on a metal baking tray and pop it in the fridge.  When chocolate has firmed up, use a metal spoon or spatula and begin scraping.  If the chocolate flakes instead of curls, the chocolate is too hard.  Just let it warm up a bit on the counter and keep trying.  I also topped my cake with fresh raspberries.

I was so proud I forced Ryan to take a picture of me + my pretty, delicious creation.  For posterity's sake.

p.s. Happy Birthday Rachael!

Locks of Love.

Sweet Abigail has been begging for months to cut her hair.  Her long, beautiful, crowning glory.  I've been resistant.  I've tried everything I can think of to bribe her into keeping it long.  And then I flat out refused.  I would be the one with the scissors, and I'm the mom.  I didn't have to cut it if I didn't want to, right?  Wrong.  My mother heart remembered a time when I was Abigail's age.  When I too desperately wanted to cut my hair.  But my mother said no, and she meant it.  She refused.  And I never understood it.

Before

This was the face I got  when I asked one last time if she was sure she wanted to chop it all off.

Wanting to cut her hair was Abby's way of reminding me that she's growing up.  That she's a good decision maker.  And she is!  There is a 10" long ponytail sitting on my bathroom counter waiting to be shipped off to Locks of Love to prove it.

PROJECT: craft registration.

Happy Monday morning, friends.

I sat awake last night for what seemed like eons thinking about all of the treats Lindsay and I are putting together for our PROJECT: craft attendees.  Happy mail, favors, giveaways. . . teeny tiny details you're going to love.  You don't want to miss out on all of that do you?

You can purchase a ticket for you + your favorite friend right here.  Hurry!  Spots are filling up quickly!

Also, Lovely Lindsay + I will be hosting a special drawing the night of the event for all of you dears who helped spread the word about PROJECT: craft.  Whether you live in the Tri-Cities or in Timbuktu, leave a comment letting me know how you circulated the news and we'll put your name in the hat.  If you're not there + you win, we'll ship the prize your way.  And trust me, it's a really good prize.

PROJECT: craft.

Local friends,  I have some exciting news to share with you today.  My dear friend Lindsay and I have been busy bees organizing an evening devoted to craft.  We're calling it PROJECT: craft and you're invited!   Lindsay and I have been feeling a little left out way up here in the Northwest.  There are community craft nights that take place all over the country and it's about time our neck of the woods stepped it up.  Our  hope is that PROJECT: craft will gather creatively minded individuals from our community for a night of inspiration + fun.  

PROJECT: craft will be held at our very own local organics shop, Greenies on September 25th at 7 pm.  If you live in the Tri-Cities Washington vicinity you won't want to miss out.  There will be giveaways from some of our favorite etsy shops + lots of fun surprises.  Registration will open Monday August 23rd.  Be sure to mark your calendars.  Space is very limited and tickets will be sold on a first come, first serve basis.  Oh, and we'd be pleased as punch if you would help spread the word.  

Outdoor Movie.

The countdown to school has officially begun.  Two weeks from this moment my three oldest children will be in brand new classrooms.  They will be wearing brand new shoes and making new friends.  That means we have two weeks left to soak up the last little bit of summer.  Carefree days, no schedules, happy times.  

Friday night Ryan set up a borrowed projector in the backyard and used the shop door as a screen.  It was bliss.  The weather was gorgeous + the movie was funny (Diary of a Wimpy Kid).  

These are the simple pleasures I want my children to remember most from this summer.  I want them to remember the giant bubble gum suckers they ate, the scenes where we all laughed our heads off together.  I want them to remember that after the movie, even though he was exhausted from a long day of work, their dad slept out on the trampoline with them.  I want them to remember how special that made them feel.  

 

I want my children to remember that our happiest summer moments didn't take a lot of preparation or money.  And it didn't really matter what we were doing, what mattered most is that we were together.  

Puppet Theater Tutorial.

This past Christmas my in-laws gave Abby an awesome puppet theater from Restoration Hardware.  It was actually more like a puppet theater kit with cute hand puppets, a stage, and storage box.  Unfortunately, the stage wasn't very functional for younger children (it is made of cardboard and can be tippy).

Making a simple puppet theater has been on my to-do list all summer.  This week my children have been extra cranky.  The fighting has increased ten fold and I've been searching for things to keep them happy and busy.  After hearing "there's nothing to do" for the hundredth time this afternoon I decided it was time to pull out the sewing machine and whip up this simple project.

Supplies:

fabric
accent fabric
sewing machine
iron/ironing board
fabric scissors
tension rod

I didn't have a pattern to use (this was a fly by the seat of your pants kind of project) and I used fabric scraps I had in my stash.  You may remember the striped jersey from this craft.  I even had a tension rod lying around. (lucky me!)

I wanted the theater to work on any doorway in my home.  These measurements fit our widest doorway so I'm sure they will work for you too.

I used a zig-zag stitch.

The striped fabric was used as an accent around the curtain opening.  This is a really great tutorial for making ruffles.  Once your ruffles are made, just pin and stitch to your curtain.

I like how the curtain is so low to the ground.  I wanted Audrey to be as comfortable using it as the big kids.  

I'm happy to report the children were on their bellies taking turns playing puppet master for the rest of the afternoon.

Although, not everyone understood that the curtain's purpose was to hide them from their audience.

These Two. . .

. . . are often found holding hands.

. . . scream like it's going out of style.

. . . cannot be trusted with any kind of writing device.

. . . have a love/hate relationship with dogs.

. . . are playing together more + more everyday.

. . . have me wrapped around their sweet chubby fingers.

Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies.

I won the prize for "coolest mom" on Friday.  Wanna know why?  The children and I baked cookies for lunch.  Now I didn't say I won the prize for "healthiest mom" so don't judge.  We were plum out of brown sugar so we had to search the recipe binder a bit.  This chewy chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe is what we came up with.  And since Abby declared "These are the best cookies ever!" while we were partaking, I decided I'd better share the recipe with you dears.  You know, because the "coolest mom" crown is up for grabs today.

Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. butter
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 t. vanilla
• 2 c. flour
• 3/4 c. cocoa
• 1 t. soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 c. peanut butter
• 2 c. chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.  Combine dry ingredients and gradually blend into creamed mixture.  Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips.  Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.  Bake 8 minutes.

Young Bibliomaniac.

This boy.

Amazes me.

Delights me.

Teaches me.

 And he loves books more than anyone else I know.  

He reads and reads and reads.  

And he wants to share what he's read with you. 

Or your son.

Or your daughter.

Announcing:

Young Bibliomaniac!

Book reviews for kids, by a kid.

Check him out, will you?

(and maybe leave him a nice comment?)

(he's only ten and he's already obsessed with comments.)

Savoring Summer.

Hello, hello!  

Dearies, I've missed you.  We've been soaking up summer around here as of late and to be honest, I just haven't been feeling much like blogging.  There have been concerts and otter pops.  Days by the pool and days spent at home.  I've been cleaning + organizing (weird for the summer, right?), running + lounging.  It's been lovely.  

This past week we spent a few days in Idaho screaming at the tops of our lungs riding roller coasters and playing in the prettiest lake I've ever seen.  The children were so happy, we're already regretting not staying longer.  There were cousins involved.  Need I say more?

I think this may be my favorite picture from our adventure.  We had been coaxing Owen to jump in the lake for a solid 5 minutes.  Uncle Bill was waiting with open arms, (can I just publicly say how much we LOVE Uncle Bill?  He's the best and my children ADORE him) Ryan was promising chocolate milkshakes and The Wimpy Kid movie, Abby and I were chanting "O-wen, O-wen" and Easton looks like he's about to snap.  It was awesome.  And yes...he did eventually take the plunge.

Now that we're home I want to savor these last few weeks of summer.  I want to enjoy every moment but am mighty worried I'll get caught up in the planning + preparing for the coming school year and let these precious days slip by.  Are you worried too?  Well if you are, I've compiled a list of things that may help you.

The very kind Heather from Simply Feather asked if I would share with her readers how I plan to enjoy the last days of summer.  You can read my post here.  Be sure you enter the giveaway for some treats from my shop too.  And if you're looking for more inspiration, Heather's line up from the week was fantastic.

Day One: Beki from Artsy Crafty Babe

Day Two: Crystal from Little Bit Funky and Marta from Marta Writes

Day Three: Lindsay from Banter

Day Four: Me

Day Five: Maegan from Madeline Bea: Life Set to Words

So. Friends. What are your plans for the remaining days of summer?  I'd love to hear.