Monarch Post

 

My sweet Mom passed on to heaven Tuesday morning. Her funeral will be next Tuesday.

I love you Mom, and I know I have a new guardian angel today.

 

 

sophia fairy in progress...

 

Latest W.I.P... I've just learned that means work in progress. Okay, little slow, but now I feel so much more professional ;) This is Sophia Trueworth. She's a fairy art doll I started making last night. She'll have butterfly wings and white embroidered stars (it's July already!?) embroidered on her red wool dress. I think she needs some Red Mary Jane's.. Made that teeny fairy ring (wreath) on the left, too.

Last night I had plans to go with my girlfriends, The Hot Mamas, (yes, we think we're hilarious-- it's really more like the hot-flash mamas these days..) to Red Butte Garden. But unfortunately, we we're rained out... Decided then to go putter around in my studio, and this is who showed up! She looks like she'd make a great new girlfriend. And she certainly will be hot in a red wool sweater dress in July ;) Hey, I just show up; I'm not in charge of what gets made ;) Anyways, when she tells me how to finish her up, I'll introduce you properly...

***BTW, if you've never worked with Super Sculpey polymer clay, well, you just should... It's amazing what you can do with this stuff. And if you're intimidated, just hand a glob to your kids or grandkids--  they'll get your creativity going!

Happy 4th of July to you! Hope you eat lots, and play hard.

xoxoKelly

 

 

what i was lovin about yesterday

  

Thrift store finds from last week. Breadboard, strawberry jam jar,

 

which go with the consignment store bowl from last year.

 

And the strawberry pie keeper found along with the strawberry jam jar.

                                 Score.

And the way they fit perfectly in the empty spaces by the stove.

 

Oh ya, and the recipe card holder found with the breadboard, jam jar, and strawberry pie keeper!

 

Kid lunches served on last years' thrifted find. Which by the way, makes eating unusual things like vegetables, sometimes happen...

 

See? On second glance, I think he's eating fruit... I was told cukes are sick.

 

Look at all those great colors- sorry about the photo :(

 

Banana bread that couldn't wait to get cool to be eaten. And the smell... yum.

 

Staking tomato plants, and their scent on my hands.... One of the finest fragrances on the planet...

 

How green things are in the backyard, and Mike's newly made Adirondack chairs.

 

And how the pots are finally taking off, after all that rain.

 

The first teeny bouquet of zinnias from our yard. Here.

Better yet here, in the kitchen... where I admired them for the rest of the afternoon.     

Talk soon,

xoxoKelly

P.S keepin' it real here-- what I didn't love about yesterday... One baseball mom complaining loudly that all the worst players on the team were playing that day, while surrounded by those kids' parents, while another mom bragged about how she cheated on AP tests-- to her kids! Who does that? And Corbyn's car broken into in broad daylight--  his subwoofer, cologne, and debit card were stolen! ....People, you are making bad karma. Stop it!

jolly good

   

Hey there! I've been working away this past week-- stitching away late at night, and finding Saturday morning treasures for the Etsy shop. I've got all sorts of things half-way finished, but did manage to finish some new pincushion designs. I found the sweetest white teacups at the thrift store, but couldn't decide what to do with them, and then viola-- Union Jack flags popped into mind! Very British pincushions now for sale. Love it when that happens...

I had a hard time getting a good photo of my flag pincushions, but this shot shows the tops and gives a better idea of what they really look like--

 

So there we are... I'm calling them Hail Brittania pincushions,

 

and Wimbledon strawberry pincushions :)

When we lived in England we used to go strawberry picking in June. The strawberries on the farm we visited were ginormous! When we commented on the size of the strawberries, the farm owners proudly told us that their strawberries were the ones served (with cream) at Wimbledon. (So that explains the name.)

Well okey dokey, I'm off to the fashionable sporting event around our town... yes, that would be baseball. Went to a tournament game every night last week-- Jesse's team took a respectable third place in town. And now it's on to the All-Star games. We are the awesomest chair-unfoldin'-picnic-packin'-baseball spectators, (I must confess ;)) Except for poor bored Sophey...

     Back soon with more goodies, I'll try to get things listed (hopefully) late tonight in my Etsy shop. 

Happy summertime to you! Isn't it great?!

Love,

xoKelly

 

~strawberry shortcake and a break~

Well, Monday flew right by me (without a post) and now it's Wednesday... It's rained and rained all week long in our desert state. I mean seriously rained-- downpours every afternoon and/or evening.  Lots of rescheduling of baseball games going on here, which means my schedule is all over the place. It's a soggy world outside, and I'd rather be inside today, so baking for the fam seemed like a nice n' cozy idea this morning.

I just bought a new recipe book, one of those homey tried and true kinds: Gooseberry Patch 101 Homestyle FAVORITES. The recipe for strawberry shortcake is the best I've ever had! Honest. Serious. Really, truly. Cross my fingers hope to die, stick a  Okay, you get the picture... Here's the recipe for you, my friends :)

  ~summer time strawberry shortcake~

* 3 to 4 c. strawberrries, hulled and sliced

* 1/2 c. plus 2T. sugar, divided

* 2 c. all-purpose flour

* 1 T. baking powder

* 1/2 t. salt

* 3/4 c. butter, divided

* 1 egg, beaten

* 2/3 c. light cream

* 1 c. whipping cream, whipped

Toss strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar and set aside. Combine flour, remaining sugar, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs; set aside. Whisk together egg and light cream; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Divide dough into 6 parts; pat into biscuits and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Cool biscuits briefly on a wire rack. Split in half with a serrated knife; spread bottoms with remaining butter. Top with berries and whipped cream; add tops. Garnish with remaining berries and cream. Makes 6 servings.

**************************************************

I think I'll be taking a blog break for a few days... I really need to get some new things made for my Etsy shop. So I'll be back early next week with something handmade to share with you!

Hope all's well and not too soggy in your world :)

Love,

Kelly

 Our house, in the middle of our street

Our house it has a crowd

There's always something happening

And it's usually quite loud

Our mum she's so house-proud...

Our house, in the middle of our street...

I remember way back then when

We would have such a very good time

Such a fine time

And I remember how we'd play

Simply waste the day away

Then we'd say

Nothing would come between us...

 

Last night we finally got around to unpacking Sopheys' end of the school year bag of work. My favorite item was this pop-up community book she made. (I adore kid art.) She said this is our street-- our house is the yellow one.

And this is our town.

 

And this is one of the farms where we live.

 

That's a water mill, by the way. I love it... and last night that '80s song by Madness,"Our house in the middle of our street" ran through my mind. But I didn't mind. Life can be so sweet.

Hope you have a really, really lovely weekend-- in your house, on your street, in the city, the 'burbs or the farm.  There's really just no place like home, is there?

Lots of love to you,

Kelly

in the good old summer time

 

Well, I said I'd try and stop being so flowery on my posts for awhile... boys and baseball, I'd say it doesn't get less flower-y than that. Jess made our towns' All-Star team this year. Guess where I'll be spending lots more time this summer? But I love it. I marvel at these baseball-playing, hot dog eating guys of mine. I was the gym teachers' worst nightmare. And they are so very athletic, go figure.

Anyways, other than baseball, here's some of the things on our kid summer fun list. In no particular order, because who needs order in summertime:)

*June 27- is the Great American Backyard Camp out- need to participate.

* teach kids to make fruit leather.

* teach kids to make cake doughnuts.

* make a summer treasure jar.

* make some potato print fabric.

* dig out the fondue pot.

* go to the U of U art museum.

* buy a microscope-- look at stuff with kids.

* yard saleing with girls.

* make seashell candles.

* read  THE BORROWERS.

* build better boats to race in the ravine.

* finish wallpapering Sophey's dollhouse.

* make papier-mache piggy banks

* make a fairy garden behind front porch.

* make homemade fresh peach ice cream.

* eat lots of fresh peaches.

* eat more peaches...

 So that's what's on our home plate for the summer :)

How About YOU? What are YOUR plans for the SUMMER?

Let me know, I'd love to hear!

Love,

Kelly

P.S. off to work on crafting-- still have fairy-making items on the brain, even though May is over. Back soon with something cute to show.

more memories

 

I've sat staring at your handsome face for a full five minutes now, thinking of you and wondering where to begin... Two graduations in a month here in our family-- that's tough on a Mom. Somehow this is bigger than your first steps, your first T-ball game, or your first driving lesson, this is so, so grownup. I tell ya, I shouldn't have blinked....

He does seem so grown up now, this first born son of ours. Born when everything should have been so perfect, but wasn't. We waited, we planned for him, in between we moved to England for Mike's next Air Force assignment. And then a little unexpected Gulf War broke out and messed up all our well- planned plans. Mike went to Saudi and I stayed in England, pregnant. Corbyn was five weeks old before his Dad came home from the war. Those were rough times, but what blessing came from it for us.

He was the happiest, jolliest baby. Such joy, and nothing has changed. He brings life, humor and a lot of irreverence to our lives. He likes to challenge the status quo, always keeping it real around here. He knows a putz when he meets one, but has a heart for people and justice. If he wanted to, he could make a good, honest lawyer. Or a writer, he writes beautifully. He loves art history and baseball (not necessarily in that order), hot dogs and apple pie. Yes, those really are his favorites. He's our All-American, England-born son. 

We love you so, sweet Corbyn William.

  

 

    This graduation was simpler. Corbyn's request was dinner with us, and attending an all-night school hosted party. In between, we gave him his present of a laptop for college and a card.

 Here's the great advice we wrote on his graduation card :)

Corbyn,

Your mother and I are very proud of the man you've become. The last eighteen years have been a blessing to us as we have watched you grow and ready yourself for the future.

As you embark on the next phase of your life's journey, please keep a few things in mind: Do what you love; the money will follow, treat others the way you want to be treated, never stop dreaming, the journey is as important as the destination, and always wear clean underwear.

With all of our love...

Dad and Mom

grand slam week

 

Tonight our dear Bo graduates from high school. We love you Corbyn and we are so proud of you!

It's one more crazy busy week here-- Ainsley's birthday Wednesday, Mike's tomorrow. We're officially celebrating both tomorrow night. Birthday parties, baseball games, Brownies at our house this week. School finishes today for all my kids... deep *sigh* of relief here... We've made it through those last few weeks of May fever. Drag, haul, push, kids out the door ;)

Be back soon with more details...

Love to you,

Kelly

one at a time

 

Sunday evening I ran across this site.  knit-a-square.com is a fairly new charity site. They're wanting the word spread to knitters and crochetters about their mission, so I'm doing my bit for them today. And I joined their square circle forum to see and learn more about their work.

  

knit-a-square is asking for donations of 8" X 8" squares. Hand knitted or crochetted in preferably wool yarn for AIDS orphans in Africa. Their goal is 10,000 blankets for 2009. They're happy to receive a donation of one or one hundred squares...

400 squares makes 10 blankets

4 000 squares makes 100 blankets

40 000 makes 1000 blankets

400 000 makes 10 00 blankets

Lots more info at their site. Yesterday I found the brightest, reddest, yummiest skein of 100% wool on sale at Ben Franklin. It's going in my "to go basket." I need something new to work on, and this is such a great idea. I'll show my squares later, but thought I'd pass this along now. Hop on over to the folks at knit-a-square if you're needing a project :)

Happy Wednesday to you!

xoxoKelly