Monarch Post

crafty me and my crafty dog

  

Last Friday, between Dr. and vet appointments, and a baseball game, I managed to eek out this little choker number.

I'm lame, I know. It's just that this time of year with all the kids sports goings on, life turns into December busy for me. And last night, after the ballgame, we were in charge of organizing dinner and making ribs and baked potatoes for twenty-five eighteen-year old ravenous baseball players. Do you know how much food that is? About the same, I think, as dinner for the Norwegian army. Sheesh. So hang in there with me, pretty please!

When we went to the vet last Friday. Dear Dr. Nancy took one look at Winston and said, "Winston you are fat!" Ouch. Glad she's not my doctor, I'd be needing to find a new one. But Winnie has gained two more pounds since winter. Dr. Nancy said he needs to come back in six weeks for a weigh in. It's doggie diet time.

We came home after the hard news, and this is what he did for the next hour.

 

If I didn't know better, I'd think he was bummed.

So it's time for more dog walking. And less sneaking out the dog door devouring that large bag of potato chips, (Winston) or a bucket of KFC (Winston)... Naughty dog. Yes, he's done both lately. I freaked out when I found the KFC bucket empty. He ate half a bucket of fried chicken-- bones and all! I called the vet (who's getting used to my guess-what-the-dog-ate-this-time phone calls ) and she said he should be fine. He was. Although he didn't eat a thing for two days after his KFC shenanigan. Good grief. Your chunky monkey figure is not entirely my fault, Mr. Winston.

Well, I'd better run... I have a few crafty hours before the baseball game tonight!

Take care and lots of love to you,

xoxoKelly

rambling Friday

 

Yes, it's random, rambling Friday here.... following pink Saturday, and green Wednesday, we needed something/something Friday. Uh, rambling Friday. That works.

 Well it's April now, and that means cute-thrift-store-wellie-rain-boot-flower-vase needs to be out and photographed. Why? I don't know why, just because it's cute. That's why I guess. 

And another dollar well spent at the thrift store ;) It's almost sick, isn't it? ... my preoccupation with finding cute stuff for just about free... but it keeps the hub happy. He calls me a reverse snob. I come home and say "guess how much this didn't cost me!" I think he tries to guess high to humor me. And therefore, makes my day when I say "wrong! It was only yadda, yadda, this much!"

Okay, moving along with my ramblings...

  

And this was so not a deal-- forty bucks. But it was the only one left at Target. Had to have it. Visions of summer barbeques and this cooler filled with ice tea or lemonade on the deck, bad 80's music playing, kids and dog chasing Frisbee. Yes, had to have it. (Please don't hate me because I have the coolest cooler ever ;))

Rambling forward now and thinking summer and backyard fun. Here's the problem. I need some ideas people! I only have one so far...

  

I think giant sunflowers and nasturtium seeds (photographed on top of a new picnic table cover, because it went with, yes, the cooler) would look great around the sides of the playhouse Mike built for the kids.

 

Isn't it adorable? Mike did a wonderful job. It's still needing two swinging Dutch doors, but then it's finished. Well, and maybe some cute curtains ... But like I was sayin' it needs flowers, plants, a tree or two...And that's a sandbox underneath, by the way. My husband is very efficient!

So please pass along any ideas or suggestions you might have. Whatever you think would go with giant sunflowers on a steep hill.

It's been a crazy, busy week here. One husband in Costa Rica and two kids going every direction. And one sick kiddo. So there's my craftless excuse. I did get an art doll almost finished. I'll show her soon!

 

Ball games, school events, scouts, piano, docs, fifty pounds of laundry. The life of the Mom...

 

 

 

  

 

 Well I'm sure that's probably enough rambling for one post! Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks so much for checking up on me! Hope all's with you!

Love,

xoxoKelly

green Wednesday

   

Sorry that pink Saturday post was left up so long. Jesse and I are trying to get over the stomach flu. We're starting to feel more human today, hopefully by tomorrow we'll be recovered. Nasty stuff.

Anyway, in honor of Earth Day today, HAPPY EARTH DAY everyone! Searching around for a photo for this post, I remembered the shoebox diarama Sophey made for her animal report last week. That works-- floating clay yellow seahorses, felted wool seaweed, shells and sand from our trip to the Outer Banks in NC. a few years back, and then my creative child decided goldfish crackers swimming and nibbling along would be the perfect finishing touch. I agreed! Tomorrow at school, the endangered animal fair continues with a singing program. Can't wait to see/hear that, too.

These last two children of mine arrived on Earth, seemingly already prewired to care for the environment. It amazes me. Last week our next door neighbor cut down their huge horse chestnut tree and Jesse was furious. He told me, "trees give the Earth oxygen and every time you cut down a tree it takes oxygen away from us!" He's still talking about the tree being gone, and he's still mad! Granted the tree was a little large for the space, but I had to agree, cutting down a tree simply because you're tired of it (the neighbor said) doesn't seem justified to me either.

And that's just one example of how conscious these two are. We haven't taught them this passion, it's just who they are. I am routinely reminded to turn the water off if they think I'm wasting it while cooking or cleaning. I am praised when I buy environmentally friendly laundry soap and cleaners (seriously!) After a thrift store shopping spree last week, they remarked that this was a good way of recycling too! And so partly because of them, I find myself wanting to do a better job being "green".  I now fully realize our children will inherit the Earth I leave behind.

My Dad was green way before green became cool. He held many civic positions over the years aiding the environment. Through wetland zoning to years of being the county riverkeeper, he understood as Native Americans do, that we are the Earth also. When Jesse and Sophia were born, he told me to teach them to care for the Earth. He said, "Everyone thinks we just live on the Earth, but that's not true, we are a part of the Earth." So true, indeed.  

Lots of love,

xoxoKelly

blossoming

"The Earth laughs in flowers" ~ E.E. Cummings

   This week the trees celebrated spring and popped into gorgeous shades of pinks and whites. After what has seemed like the longest winter ever ( Really. I'm serious, ask any native) in Utah, it's finally looking springy here. Although it snowed again this week, and it's still so cold, the trees bloomed anyway-- finally. Yay. Thank you, thank you, thaaank you! Yes, call me a tree hugger right now. I won't even care.

It really is my very favorite time of year. (I think I get high on the smell of dirt right about now) And so this week, my crafts take their inspiration from all the beautiful blossoming trees and flowers I swooned over on my morning walks! And I'll skip making dirt crafts, for now at least ;)

I made some more of my wild rose pin designs...

   

 

  They're listed in my Etsy shop now.

And my new apple blossom brooch design..

 

And if the Earth really does laugh in flowers, well, in my neighborhood this week, I think the Earth was doing one great big loooong belly laugh!

it's gorgeous in my neighborhood...

   How amazingly creative is Mother Nature..

  I mean, who would think of pink blossoms on old brown tree branches but Her! She's just way ahead on the style curve, in my opinion, anyway. Pink and brown just got trendy a few years ago, but She's been doing it for forever already!

 

 

  And that spring green!.. don't you just love it with pink!

   Everywhere I looked, I found pink on my walk. I'm lovin' it. Hope you did too!

 

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY everyone! Thanks you Beverly for hosting this event.

Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Love,

xoxoKelly

what it takes to get a halfway decent photo taken around here...

   

 After church on Easter I wanted a few good photos of our two youngest in their Easter outfits. Corbyn had to work, and Ainsley is on her own these days, but these two looked so sweet, I wanted to get a few photos to remember the morning. Especially with Jess in a matching pink shirt. Yes, he picked it out himself, he's quite the fashionista at times. And those pants; held up with a cinched up belt... They do not make clothing skinny enough for this child of mine...

I had to do a fair bit of begging and pleading... C'mon guys, it will only take five minutes. Stand next to your sister. Why don't you put your arms around her? NO WAY, Mom!

    Smile normal, please...

   Normal, normal guys!

  

 There, perfect. I told you it would only take five minutes....  Jesse: Can I change now?  Me: Yes. Jess: My collar is itching like crazy Mom! 

And it was back to t-shirts and jeans in less than five minutes...

Yesterday, I had one of those wicked hormonal headaches I get at times. Spent the day in bed thinking of everything I should be doing. I'm feeling much better today, and it's my day to spend in the studio, so that's where I'm heading.

Take care. Back with something creative soon!!

Love,

Kelly

happy

    My new $2.00 thrift store bowl I scored yesterday. Happy Easter to all who celebrate! Happy Spring to everyone!!!

Love,

Kelly

sugar and spice and everything nice

   

 Happy Pink Saturday everyone! Our week at home has been a busy one. My kids are on spring break, so we spent some of our week doing fun things, and running to our boys' baseball games like we always do in springtime. And with Easter preparations going on for this weekend, well, not too much crafting happened around here. Although I have a few things started, nothing quite finished yet!

Next Saturday I should have crafty things to show and tell, but for now I'll just share the one pink creative thing we made this week. My Sophia, who wants to be a culinary artist when she grows up, (yes, really!) wanted to make spiral cookies for Easter. Spiral cookies it was.

 

 

   They were pretty labor intensive to make, and Winston was exhausted form it all... Okay, okay, not really. But I just had to stick that photo in here somewhere ; ) Silly dog.

   

Here's the cookbook we used for spiral cookies.

 

 

   Lots of magical recipes  to make.

   Can you guess what chez Sophia's favorite color is?!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

xoxoKelly

 

 

 

This, I love

      Last night I was doing a bit of web surfing. My email letter from my favorite social justice company, Bead For Life had arrived, and they mentioned another women's social justice organization. Women Thrive. I surfed on over... this is their vision and mission:

  "Women Thrive develops, shapes, and advocates for policies that foster economic opportunity for women living in poverty. We focus on making US. international assistance and trade programs  prioritize women. We bring together a diverse coalition of over 50 organizations and 25,000 individuals united in the belief that women are the key to ending global poverty, and empowering them is not only right, it's also the most effective long-term solution to world poverty."

I was completely taken aback by this part of the above quote: "individuals united in the belief that women are the KEY to ending global poverty" Can I quote that again... "women are the KEY to ending global poverty, and empowering them is not only right, it's also the most effective long-term solution to world poverty"  WOW. That is a stunning new insight for me. Stunning. 

I find myself over and over, drawn to these organizations, and somehow, someday, someway, I want to be a part of this justice movement... for now, I've signed my name to the Foreign Assistance petition. Our foreign assistance program is outdated, and an update will ensure more help for men and women living in poverty. The petition will be sent to President Obama and our Congress. Lets hope change happens for those who need change the most. Over one billion people worldwide live on a dollar a day or less.

In the meantime, you can also buy some fabulous fairtrade handmade items from Women Thrive. (Click on shop the cause). Like that bowl in the first photo-- it's made from trash candy wrappers. Can you believe it?

Or this tote bag, also made from plastic bags that litter the streets of New Delhi.

 Amazing.

   Or how about a new necklace from Tibet? You'll be the only one in town with one of these babies!

      Or maybe real cloth babies stitched by Burmese women. Buy one, and one gets donated to a child. Can't beat that. And you can't beat the prices either. There are oodles of amazing handmade items for sale.

All the items listed on Women Thrive are very reasonable, so stop buy and check out the goods. And Petition our President and Congress, if you want, while you're there. I'm liking it... why didn't anybody tell me sooner... we can shop and change the world?! I'm buying the candy wrapper bowl...Go girls, go.

Love,

xoxoKelly

Virginia's rolls

   My neigbor friend Virginia had one of her boys drop off some hot and fluffy extra dinner rolls awhile back... I have some really nice neighbors...

Virginia is the mother of five boys- I always tell her God has a special place in heaven for her for being the mother of five boys. But she loves it all, and is a really great Mom. She is bubbly and so much fun to be around. Her enthusiasm and love of life is contagious. And so are her rolls. She got me started makin' them too... They're really easy, and I feel so kinda smug that yes, I can now do something with  yeast besides need a prescription... Oiye, sorry. Anyways, here's a great recipe for you...

ROLLS ALA VIRGINIA

1/4 C warm water

1 packet of yeast

1 tsp. sugar.

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let yeast water rise and foam for about twenty minutes.

******

1/2 stick butter, melted

1 C milk scalded in microwave for 1 minute.

1/2 C. sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 eggs- beaten

4 C. flour- add 1 C at a time

Mix together all of the above ingredients. Grease a large bowl. Knead dough on a floured countertop and form into a ball. The dough is quite sticky, but just keep adding flour until it's not sticky.

Place ball of dough in greased bowl, and cover with a dish towel. Place bowl in a warm spot, preferably on top of the stove as it preheats for the rolls. Let rise about 30-40 minutes, until doubled in size.

Form dough into balls- like about the size of extra-large eggs. With a paper towel, rub melted butter on tops of rolls. Raise for 1 hour.  Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy! They are yummy, yummy.

It's spring break here this week, and I'm so glad, but I'm wishing Mike didn't have to travel all week... my kids are complaining a little because we have no big plans. I told them we'll have a stay-cation one day this week to SLC.. Maybe the zoo, if the weather will cooperate for a day. We have some fun-planning to do.

xoxoKelly

Mary's bouquet

  "God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars."

    ~Martin Luther

      I've recently discovered something new about myself. I am very, very seasonal... my moods, my tastes, my designs change with the seasons.  In winter I'm bold and graphic. Red and black wooly clothing, and sensible shoes. But when springtime arrives, I find myself pulling out the lace and eyelet blouses at the back of my closet- even a string of pearls, at times. Spring softens me, brings out the feminine side. I like that after the severity of winter. And so right now, I'm all about lace, spring greens, and pinky reds as you can see by my newly crafted bouquet.

One of my favorite recent reads is "The Secret Life of Bees". Last month I saw the movie- and loved it also. It is, in it's essence, a quest for Mary, a quest to mother the motherless. And ultimately, finding strength in and through the love of Mary, and the nurturing, feminine face of God. If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, it's well worth the time.

After reading "The Secret Life of Bees" I have been drawn to learn more about Mary. One of the most interesting and surprising discoveries I've made is learning how many flowers are symbols for Mary. Those flowers are often times planted in gardens with a statue of Mary. Mary's gardens.

And so from me, a Mary bouquet for you today.

    Roses from an old prom dress.

    Canterbury bells from flannel fabric.

    Purple asters from batik fabric.

   Blue forget-me-nots from a felted wool sweater, baby's breath from an old lace blouse.  All are Mary's flowers.

It's almost illegal how much fun I can have hunting through the racks of thrift shop clothing for my art supplies!  Happy PINK SATURDAY everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by and welcoming me. It's so fun to meet so many new bloggers. Thank you Beverly for hosting this event.

Love,

Kelly

P.S. the bouquet is listed in my Etsy shop