Monarch Post

red, white and blueberries

     Tried a new muffin recipe the other day. I'm searching for foods my teenage son will grab as he heads out the door on school mornings. He's not a big breakfast eater, so I'm trying out breakfast muffins. I made these Friday, and they were gone Saturday ... they were really good. My other kids and I ate them for breakfast ;) Now I need to make some more for my breakfast sluffing boy..

Blueberry Pecan Bran Muffins

1/4 C butter

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 C milk

1/4 C light brown sugar

3/4 C whole-wheat flour

1/2 C bran cereal

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

3/4 C blueberries

1/3 C pecans, finely chopped

Preaheat oven to 400 and spray muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Melt the butter and leave it to cool slightly. Beat the egg with the milk, add the sugar and leave to stand.

Mix all the dry ingredients (except the bran cereal) together in a bowl and add the blueberries and the chopped nuts. Mix the butter with the milk and egg, add the bran cereal and let it soak a couple minutes, then pour into the dry ingredients bowl and mix quickly and lightly-this should take no more than a few seconds. Do not beat the mixture, which will seem rather wet.

Divide the mixture among the muffin cups and bake immediately in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes (checking to see when done). I added a few more chopped nuts and brown sugar on top of the muffins. Cool briefly on a wire rack and serve warm.

Super easy and quick. Enjoy!

Lots of love,

xoxoxKelly

transformed

  "Flowers and butterflies drift in color, illuminating spring" ~anonymous

          Ideas for fabric butterlies have been floating around my mind the past month or so. This week I made a few.

They look nothing like what I had in mind to begin with. Simple, straightforward butterflies they were going to be. But just like butterflies do, mine transformed also. "Add a little lace", they said, "and a little embroidery"... we're the ladies of the insect kingdom. 

And so I listened, and followed my winged friends instructions, because transformation is what butterflies do best.

    Winter transformed...

Oh, the magic of springtime!  Happy PINK SATURDAY everyone!

Lots of love,

xoxoKelly

P.S. These little charmers took a lot longer to make than I thought they would. Too much time to sell many on Etsy, but I'm thinking of offering my butterlfly patterns as a kit. What do you think?

    

selling cuteness and cookies

  Last Saturday our Brownie troop sold cookies at a booth sale. The girls did a great job selling and even up-selling! Door-to-door sales are over now, but keep your eyes peeled for cute little Girl Scouters selling at booth locations- there's another week to go for booth sales at grocery stores, and various places.

The proceeds help the Girl Scout program at a national level, and at troop level the girls get money for troop activities, and camp. They also learn how to set goals, sell, count money, and improve social skills. The girl scout motto is: Building girls of courage, confidence, and character. What a deal people- eat cookies and build strong young women. Buy cookies, buy cookies everyone!

Take care,

xoxoKelly

sneaking by

     Still entertaining company here this week, but while they're out and about, I'm sneaking some blog time in.

 My mother-in-law and I went to Salt Lake city this week shopping. We spent one whole day shopping away in the trendiest new outdoor mall. So much fun. I NEVER get away for a day of shopping downtown SLC anymore, and well, to spend time leisurely strolling through my very favorite shop, Anthropologie, it was to-die-for-fun.

 Here's a few shots of fab displays and wonderful designs I took on the sly...

  I love the displays as much as the store goods!

 

 

 

A flock of canvas taking wing... how creative!

 

Butterflies

 

teacups

 

and birds, a few of my favorite things...

 

 

Looks like my company just got home, we're off to dinner now... Monday life gets back to normal (whatever that is, these days) and I'll get back to a studio!

Take care,

xoxo Kelly

praise

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate" ~Oprah Winfrey.

    Praise be indeed!! I got something creative done. Done, did, done. And I like it. It's only been sitting on my worktable a month, sheesh.  My fabric collage found it's inspiration in the song,"praise for the morning". that old song was rolling around in my head, and I decided to make some art out of the tune. Well, I think I should add a praise for the evening here too- it took a late nighter, a quiet house, good music, and candles to summon my creative muse back.... I don't think this one is for sale...

 

And If you find yourself needing a jolt of inspiration to move up and out of the end of a winter/creative slump thing like I did, well, check out this "praise for the morning" video on youtube. It's lovely. Okay and it's not linked right, but it's titled Morning has Broken (Spring/Lent)

So continuing on with that praise theme-there was so much to be thankful for this week. (And now your thinking I'm going overboard on the underling, um well, Typepad won't let me stop. AArrgh!) Anyway...

 

parties,

 

 

 

recent thank you notes from our kids,

 

(the house is not that big, by the way...and this thank you was a scout project, my young children do not write thank you notes on a whim!)

 

But the oldest child writes them on her own :) a thank you for our trip..

 

 

And perfect timing on this thank you from a school project Sophey wrote- she handed it to me when I was knee deep in dirty laundry. She says she loves me more than 200,000,000 + 900,000,000- the laundry wasn't so bad, after all...

The chickadees are back too. They vanished this winter. I love to watch them from my kitchen window. So there is lots to praise and be thankful for, even when the world only wants to give us bad news, I say look for the good- ALWAYS! And I'm going to try like heck to stay focused on the positives!

 

My in-laws are coming this Monday from Ohio for a week long visit. I doubt I'll be at the computer next week. So I'll see you in a week or so.

Take care and have a praiseworthy weekend ;)

 xoxo Kelly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

children, home, beauty

   It's officially spring for me today. I spotted crocus peeking out of the bark in my neighbors yard this morning. It also snowed again today. Yes, it's springtime in Utah.

I think I'm feeling like this photo right now: pushing my way through and trying to make creative things happen- while I'm so busy helping with my Mom, taking care of my kids, planning birthdays, scouts, homework, activities, sick people, etc. etc. My week flies past, and I wonder where it went and what I have to show for my efforts. It's been three weeks now of not much creative mojo going on here.. And that's not good, because I'm one of those people who likes tangible evidence of progess! I think that's one of many reasons blogging is so satisfying: I can 'nail it to the wall' and see what I've accomplished every few days- normally, but not so much lately.

 My one day in the studio was filled with ringing phones and doorbells, escaping dogs, and children tugging on my sleeve.... I think I need to forget about trying to make my days very creatively productive and stay with evenings and a late nighter once a week. I'm needing a better plan, or maybe I just need a maid and a nanny (?)

So a few Bead for Life bracelets are the only thing I managed to put together in my one studio day.

    But what a nice little coincidence on crocus matching! I do have spring on the brain... I'll list these    and these On Etsy soon.

Anyways, in the meantime as I run around trying to keep pushing my way to a bit of blooming creativity, I've been snapping photos of home corners, and all the little things I'm noticing and feeling so grateful for at the moment. Children, home, and beauty... and a couple of thrift store finds from Monday's shopping that made my week.

So here's to children, home, and beauty:

Sophey's bedroom breakfast still life. I spotted it this morning and grabbed the camera. I know this won't last much longer. She's eight and growing so fast.

  

And this sweet corner of her bedroom in all it's Pottery Barn splendor... I will be so sad when this gets packed away.

 

My kitchen corner still life. The latest thrift store green Pyrex ware obsessions.

   

   This stuff is the best. The casserole dishes keep everything moist and yummy, and they clean so easily. I can't believe anyone wouldn't want to keep it forever and ever. Sheesh, I sound like June Cleaver, let me go get my pearls on... but really, this stuff is the bomb.

   And while we're going '70s retro.. well, check out my Salvation Army thrift store throw. A whopping $2.00 bucks. Of course, I stood debating over whether or not to buy it for several minutes- not over the cost, but wondering if my husband would have me committed for bringing it home!

But look how cute it looks in my family room with a dog draped over it ;) Winston likes it and Mike is getting used to it. It's all good. I swear this dog smiles.

 

     And three cute new chicks for spring. They were only $3.50 each- cheap, cheap, cheap (sorry, I couldn't help myself).

    I'm liking them pecking away beneath the grocery store flowers I found when I was shopping for more cupcake items today. It's Jesse's big party day tomorrow, and I had to figure out cute goodie bags again. Boys make me think harder when it comes to parties. I hunted up and down the craft store aisles quite awhile today, but finally the light bulb moment happened.

    I always have the best helper. She can eat and work at the same time, just like her Mom ;)  Yo yo eyes, bouncy ball noses, party horn mouths. Does it work? Tell me it looks like a face, and tell me ten year old boys won't think it's stupid. Like I said, boys are harder in this department.

I love, love being their Mom and I love all the joy, life, and beauty our children bring to our home. Even on those days and weeks when my own time doesn't happen, I absolutely know I wouldn't want life to be any other way. This family is the best thing that could have ever happened to me, and I hope there are always children and someday little grandbabies tugging on my sleeve... I think I would be lost (maybe saner and more efficient, but definately lost) without little sleeve tugger people.

Hope your weekend is wonderful.

xoxoxox Kelly

 

sweet and pink

    Well gosh, it's been awhile since I did a fancied-up cake mix recipe. Don't call me Martha. Just call me Betty Crocker. When I'm asked what's my favorite thing to make for dinner, I always say reservations... badaboom! Can you tell I'm veeerrry tired tonight? I'm almost punchy. Okay, I am punchy.

Anyways, the cupackes were a hit for our birthday girl on Saturday. (The butterflies are cut from extra birthday wrapping paper). And here's my recipe for French vanilla strawberry cupcakes.

1 package Pillsbury French vanilla cake mix.

1 C. milk

4 eggs

1 C. finely diced fresh strawberries

******

Beat together cake mix, milk, and eggs until well blended. Stir in diced strawberries. Fill cupcake cups half full. Bake at 350 for 20-23 minutes. Cool and frost.

  The girls were so excited about the goody bags. It was so cute.They each asked me to tie the bags back up before they left, so their moms could see how they looked.

Guess what I'm doing next Saturday. Yep. One more birthday party. It's Jesse's birthday next week. One more trip to bouncy castle land. Whew. Obviously, Planned Parenthood will never be giving me any awards, but that's okay with me ;-)

Monday I ran errands and went hunting for crafting materials. Today I took care of my Mom. Tomorrow I get to stay home and spend the day in my studio... finally.

Take care,

xoxoxo Kelly