Riding in Cars with Toddlers

We made an impromptu trip into Sioux City last night, seems that when picking up the bathroom exhaust fan from Lowes two nights ago, mommy left her purse... at Lowes. Good one Mommy.

So we drove back. Did I mention its a 45 minute drive one way?

Well we’ve had lots of cooped up family time this week. And in the car we had so many little snippets of toddler conversation/wisdom, that I can’t recount it all but I will give you one conversation.

Izzo: Mom? Where does God sleep?
ME: God doesn’t sleep. He doesn’t need to.
Izzo: Where does God live then? In his house?
ME: God doesn’t need a house, but he lives around us.
Izzo: Where is his bed then?
ME: God doesn’t need a bed.
Eric: Gods outside the space/time continum [Ahem... Thank you, Dad.]
Izzo: So God lives outside?
ME: Well sort of. He always around us.
Izzo: O ok.

[pause]

Izzo: Can I take my shoes off in the car?

And that was it... Just a little thoughts and questions. Nothing resolved but, nothing further needed. I love kids.

Goodbye...

It's a sad time in the publishing world. So far, I've heard of three more magazines that have been dropped by publishing houses.

Goodbye Domino.


Goodbye Wondertime.

Goodbye Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion.

Twenty Five Things

My twin sister and I a few years ago...

1. I never do these surveys. I think I filled out a few a long time ago, when the internet was ‘new.’ SO I only do these kinds of things for people I love.

2. My dream is to live in a log cabin in the woods. With a fire to heat the place, and no electricity. I really wish I grew up with Laura Ingalls. But who doesn’t when you read those books?

3. I find myself starting a quite a few sentences with ‘I know, I’m really dorky but...’



4. I love my kids more than anything in the world (other than my husband, Eric, of course).

5. I want my kids to grow up with a sense of purpose. I want them to have good work ethic, to be responsible and kind people. To themselves, others and the universe.



6. I want them to be good stewards of nature. I hope that by gardening, talking nature walks, picking up trash, going camping/hiking, talking, discussing and leading by example will teach them these things.

7. I never want to move back to the concrete jungle part of California. If we do move back, I want to live some where closer to the ocean, wild grown trees and landscape of some sort.


8. I do want to be closer to my family. I have an intense love of my family and my friends. I may not express it all the time, thanks to being busy, busy. But I do.

9. In another life, or maybe later in this one. I want to move to Maine, the ocean and mountains. Distinct four seasons. The catch is that I’ve never, actually, been there.

10. My favorite music is folk music. Insert “I know, I’m a really big dork... But...” The Waifs, Patty Griffin, Missy Higgins, Forrest Sun.....

11. My favorite song is No Regrets by Forrest Sun.

12. Drinks of choice: 1. Can of ice cold Coca-Cola 2. Snakebite a layered beer. 1/2 Woodpecker cider, 1/2 Guinness. 3. Or Vodka/Lemonade

13. I have an amazing but diverse group of girlfriends. And I love them all so much. I think we connect on a different level.

14. I love to read. But I really like to read classics in Author sets. I’ve had to give that up as my New Years Resolution is to read more. Anything. Just read. I have accomplished that so far. I’ve finished three books in the first 9 days of the New Year. That is amazing.

15. I have a ton of artistic/crafty/creative ambition. I rarely return to anything I start. If I do return it’s years later. I usually pick something to learn about and then I have to study, read, do, make and then I exhaust myself from the process. But I’m trying to balance that part of my life. I want to have a few hobbies that I am good at and well satisfied with.

16. For a while everything in our life happened the week of Thanksgiving. We started dating, got engaged, got married, brought home our new baby on our first wedding anniversary, found out we were having our second baby and more. Just kept us remembering to be thankful.

17. Izzo nick-named me Bunny. Daddy was Puppy, Truman was Ducky, she was Kitty and I was Bunny. She had no clue of the social implications of calling an adult female a Bunny. But she did know that I got ticked off when she called me that. “Mommy’s name is MOMMY. If you choose to call me that name again, you are choosing to sit on the naughty chair.” Yeah, a few naughty chairs and then... Suddenly I became Mommy again. Teaching respect is hard. YIKES!

18. New Year’s Resolution #1— Knit more, weigh less.

19. I want a wood burning stove in the house and a rocking chair. And no TV. See number 2.

20. I’m always late and I almost never carry my cellphone (yep Eric those confessions were for you).

21. Favorite magazines: Country Living, Martha Stewart Living, Coastal Living, CRAFT, Home Companion (I don’t think it’s super well designed but I do think they have good ideas).

22. I like to steal design ideas from random places, I think the natural world is an amazing place to gather inspiration. Birds, leaves, flowers, pinecones, branches....

23. I wish I had learned how to be my own person years ago. I think it would have made High School and early college a lot easier. I still am in process, I just wish I had realized that there was a process then.


24. I like birdhouses. Not ones that are made to look old but ones that are in fact old, and are still hanging on a tree from forty years from now. I also like old barns. In college I did a whole photography series on Vacancy the idea of old things that are left. I traveled, 7 1/2 months pregnant with Izzo and took hundreds of pictures of barns, junk yards, car graveyards and empty houses and hotels. It was very eye opening.

25. I try to live and raise my kids to be people who are compassionate and like Jesus— in the way we love and care for others.

Who are you? You don't have to list all 25 things but, give us a slice of who you are!

My Secret Weapon

Do you have one? The recipe you can use on almost any occasion with a bunch of different ingredients make something fool proof?

I have one recipe that has gotten me out of so many jams.

Bread pudding. It can take any ordinary piece of day old bread, bagel, pancake or waffle and make it into something that people say. “This is delicious.”

Breakfast, after dinner. Heck, for dinner if you want!

I took note of how I made it the other night. I used left over French toast and then added to it. (No one was the wiser!)


Fabuloso French Toast Bake (AKA Bread Pudding)

1 Bag of bread (white, wheat, even raisin bread) cut into chunks

3-5 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar (brown, raw or white... Or a combo)
1/2 package of cream cheese (microwave for 30 sec. to a minute to incorporate easier)
1/4 cup maple syrup (or pancake syrup)
1/4 cup milk
3 tbsp butter melted
Cinnamon to taste. I like at least 1 tsp. But I love cinnamon.


Mix all ingredients, except bread.

Place all chunks of bread in a 9x13 greased pan. Pour over bread and pat bread down to absorb all the liquid. If I have time, I let it sit in the refrigerator for 1/2 an hour or so. If not, I just make sure its well soaked.

Bake at 350 until most of the liquid is absorbed and has a golden brown color. Serve with café maple yogurt topping (below).


Café Maple Yogurt Topping
1 cup plain yogurt
3 Tbls Maple Syrup
2 tsp brewed coffee
Sprinkle brown sugar

Mix until Smooth and serve over Bread pudding.

Enjoy!

So things look a little different...

Beneath the Snow

Beneath the Snow, originally uploaded by TheYellowDoorPaperie.

Last weekend, our little family took a drive through the Loess hills in Iowa. We took the camera with the intent of documenting the most beautiful day. The sky was blue, crisp, clear. The light was warm and inviting.

We just stopped on the side of the road, snapped away then got back in and chose another place, farther down the road to shoot.




What a great memory.

Basil in January

Basil in January, originally uploaded by TheYellowDoorPaperie.

I wanted to give you a sneak peek into what’s on my window sill these days. Hiding behind a curtain near the window. My basil plant! It’s still growing strong and making my winter blues not so blue. A few fresh leaves in the middle of January, can take you back to a summer day and I didn’t pay $5 for a wrinkly, browning leaves at the market! I use the little leafy green treasures in the hummus I made a few weeks back. Fresh bruchetta for New Years. With a little crusty bread from this book and I’m transported back to summer.

We haven’t had a weekend off since Thanksgiving and I’m looking forward to the next two. We are spending both at my favorite little bed and breakfast, The Hannah Marie Country Inn. One weekend with Eric’s parents and my kiddos and the next weekend with just the two of us. Both weekends will be an amazing treat. I’m looking forward to the hour long drive to hopefully get my Martha Stewart stocking completed and a chance to start a Danish Tie Shawl for myself.

Perhaps I can get my knitting fever reborn if I start a new project. I’ve been working too much stockinette stitch on the stocking, but it is good practice. And I’ll love it when it’s done.

Why a Danish Tie Shawl? Because, I spied this one on Tess of The D’Urbervilles from Masterpiece on PBS (Tess and shawl on the far left). Through some digging in the Ravelry forums I found that a ton of other knitters were glued to her wardrobe as well. I think I have the pattern worked out in my head enough to make one. I’m thinking that I’ll have to get the DVD eventually, because it was just that good. Tess was my favorite book in High School, thank you Victorian novel section in junior English. It was so romantic, emotional and tragic, yet not teeny-bopper. Perfect for anytime of life, but especially perfect in High School.

[I’m sad that we didn’t get any pictures] My nephew and I made Maple Candy from Catherine Newman’s Recipe, it was chewy and wonderful. I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder (except I had a gas range and sweatpants on but you know what I mean...). Jonathan thought it was awesome to go get a huge bowl of snow, we had to direct him not to get the scooped and therefore salty and oooky snow (oooky, is that a word)? It turned out awesome, but doesn’t keep well. If you make this sweet treat, make it in small batches. Can you really go wrong with maple syrup?

You're my best.

Happy, originally uploaded by TheYellowDoorPaperie.

These two crazy kids, have become best of friends.

Izzo can be heard saying quite often "Jonathan, you're my best."

Lots of snow play, dancing in the kitchen and horsing around.

I'll be praying for these two as they part ways today. Much sadness in the house right now.

I'm just gently reminding them to think about the good things and the fun times.

Puppy Or a Super Hero... Uses for a Ribbon

Or a Super Hero, originally uploaded by TheYellowDoorPaperie.

A lot of dress up at our house. Costume changes after ever scene and for every occasion.

Lately this long piece of red silk ribbon has been a super-hero mask, along with a vintage Vera silk scarf to make a very stylish SuperGirl.

When she's a puppy, with a key chain, for a tag and a knot, it's a "collar" (around her waist) and a leash. But she's still wearing her "Mom Earrings" to be a puppy.

I love the imaginative play that keeps evolving!

The family is coming!

This is the season for family visiting. I've realized that we haven't had a weekend free since Thanksgiving when we took this family portrait of the kiddos with Grandma and Grandpa.

So the busy season continues, I'm sure there will be lots of fun things to report here!

Isabel on the farm

Isabel on the farm, originally uploaded by TheYellowDoorPaperie.

This is an old summer photo, we were just dancing fairy dances in Miss Ruth's field one evening.

I thought with all the snow around, a simple summer photo would be fitting.

Here's a recipe from a swap I was in in October. I've yet to try it but it might be a good one for these cold nights!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup heart-healthy butter substitute
1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal
1 Tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup natural brown sugar
1/2 cup unbleached natural granulated sugar
1 egg
1 12 oz pkg drk choc chips
Cream butter, flaxseed meal and sugars until well mixed. Add egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and soda. Mix thoroughly and stir into wet ingredients. Add choc chips. Bake at 375 for 10 min.

Stay Warm!

Building a beach

Sitting Together, originally uploaded by TheYellowDoorPaperie.

So what do you do when it's -8 degrees outside and your staring a blizzard in the face? Do what all transplanted Californian's do.

Build your own beach. Isabel amazing at this. Right, Grandma Bonnie? She even got Truman involved.

She used sand colored and water colored blankets and then directed me to lay out our beach towels just so. We turned on the over head light in the living room. Put on our sunglasses and there, we have a beach.

We watch Barney at the Beach. Yeah, I am not partiularly fond of the big purple guy but, what's a mom to do with two stir crazy toddlers?

I did say no to swimsuits. That's just wrong. When the house is 64 there is no need to even have the idea.

I did have this lovely daydream about margaritas and 90 degree day on a beach in Mexico somewhere... Ahhhh.

Creative Christmas Cards

P1012396, originally uploaded by TheYellowDoorPaperie.

This year I sent out a very limited number of Christmas cards and actually I haven't sent them all out yet. I have 'til the end of January right?

I packaged the cards into flat paper bags, with our initial stamp and a red circular seal on the back.

They were easy, fun and different.

Did you do anything different with your Christmas cards this year?

100th Blog!

Happy Birthday to the Yellow Door Paperie. We've been here now for 100 posts!


This free scarf pattern is from Susan at Susan's Yarn Garden in Sioux City.

Ruffle Scarf
Cast on 60. Purl this row.
Mark as right side. --Knit row—knit 2 together so that you have 30 stitches.
Purl across. Knit 2 together so that you have 15 stitches.

Knit 1 purl 2, knit2* all the way across, bring yarn to front and slip last stitch purlwise. Continue in this manner for 55 stitches.

ON right side-knit front and back of each stitch.
Purl a row. +30

ON right side- Knit front and back of each stitch. Purl a row= 60.

Bind off.

My New Favorite Place

uploaded by TheYellowDoorPaperie.

I talked for days about going to 'the yarn store'. I really didn't have any idea what it was like. And frankly I envisioned in no way came close to the mecca that was Susan's Yarn Garden.

When we walked in on New Years Eve, we heard this boisterous music. Triumphant, all pomp and circumstance. We had arrived just in time for the turning of 2009 in Germany. Perfect timing. Because that is how I felt when I saw the shelves of yarn. O my.

Susan was a delightful soul. She entertained my questions and even gave me a few patterns and one I'll post here tomorrow. The others, you'll just have to pop over and see her to get your own.

The shop has been up and running for 3 1/2 year, and business is still good, despite the economic down turn. And we all know that women will go without a lot before they give up their yarn budget. I know I'd give up food. Isn't that a new years resolution? Weigh less, knit more.

O and those book shelves.  Gems just waiting to be plucked up. There were so many, I couldn't even begin to choose what I wanted. With a wise suggestion, I opted for the NEW Debbie Bliss Magazine put out by Vogue Knitting. Thank goodness, Ms. Susan ordered enough. She said she got phone calls from all over the country asking for spare copies. I feel privileged to own one. Now... what's easy enough that I could actually attempt it?

You might want to try the weekend sweater. Pick up a pattern for $2.50. They offer a wide variety of classes, just check out the schedule. Hopefully, I can make it down there for a few knitter's circle nights or oo... there are so many to choose from!

So you saw a bit of my new stash yesterday on my sister's head. Wasn't she cute?

And more I'll post here as the projects get finished. And if you're on Ravelry, keep looking for her. She'll be there soon.

Snow Bird Megan

Snow Bird Megan, originally uploaded by TheYellowDoorPaperie.

Here is my Meggie, she’s the youngest in our entourage of siblings. While she was out visit last week. She bamboozled me into making her this quick crocheted hat. She didn’t bamboozle too much... Just a big smile and some incredible yarn to go with it... But buttery soft yarn will get a yes out of me most of the time!

Here it is in progress.


Me trying it on while she slept. Yes I’m in my jammies... Or should I say her jammies. I borrowed the shirt.


He decided that the next project needs to be a sweater, legwarmers, hat or whatever I decided to make for her five pound Chihuahua, Lupe. I also was give a smile, hug and um... More yarn. (Ahem.)

I really like the yarn I used. It's from Manos del Uruguay. I think the warm colors make it that much more inviting.

I rest in the grace of the world

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
— Wendell Berry

Eating, drinking and walking in word clouds

Today in the midst of florescent lights and gray cubicles, I am enjoying the memory from yesterday morning, sitting in my jammies, enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning sunshine. I tried to read a magazine while little people were ‘singing’ [insert YELLING].

So I hope you enjoy this post of random happiness:


This gem of a website was forwarded on to me by a collegue, I think it’s terribly addicting. Check Wordle out for yourself. Make word clouds for fun or to see what words you use most on your blog or website.

For a while I was saying lovely every third word. Since my first experience with Wordle, I’ve kept that to a dull roar. I think little is the next word for which I find a replacement!

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Family Cookbook Update: It went so well. We all sat down to write recipes, draw, giggle and even throw in a water coloring lesson with my Mother. Who by the way needs no lessons... She is a delightful watercolorist. I don’t think I taught her anything. I did get a lovely little painting after the lesson and she took my chicken scratch.


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I made Pomegranate Sangria, recipe thanks to my lovely friend Aimee from Far from New Orleans. It was so good. I made a loose interpretation, I used sparkling Pomegranate juice and a generous amount of Clementine oranges and lots of blackberries. I think I drank most of it myself.

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On the breakfast table: This New Years day we ate Miss Mary Pancake with three different toppings. Apple-Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Topping, Blackberry-Apple Syrup and I put my own spin and spices in the Pear Cardamom Butter, from The Traveler’s Lunchbox.

--

New Year's Resolution and a Cookbook Template

One of my resolutions is to be a better keeper of our family's history.

While I have some family members out here for an extended holiday vacation I thought we'd do a fun bonding activity and make a cookbook.

I put together a cover and inside pages with photoshop, printed out several pages (one for each member of the family). It has a place for an illustration and a recipe, those who don't want to draw can add another recipe or we could cut out magazines, clip art... for a more three dimensional page. I'll also suggest that they write where it came from or the story behind it.

I just want to have handwriting and thoughts of each person. I'll scan these pages into the computer and make a pdf for everyone to print off. Or maybe for next Christmas give the printed version as gifts.

I thought I'd give you an opportunity to make your family cookbook. The front page can be personalized and here is the inside page.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Let me know if you make a cookbook too!