Easter Eggs

Here is a look back at what we were doing last Easter time. I hope you all have a beautiful Easter!

-Jami

I found these paper mache "eggs" for about $1.00. I bought all they had (2).

You know, I had to work in some more turquoise.

I painted one turquoise and one white.

Then I white washed the turquoise 'cause I'm cool like that.

Then I used a bunch of leftover McDonalds napkins fancy artistic supplies

to sponge off the extra white paint.

I did not need to do this with the one I painted white, of course.

Then I just took them into the kitchen outside and threw black paint at them.

Jackson Pollack would be proud, don't you think?

I finished them with a spritz of spray on polyurethane for durability, which is more often called upon around here than you might think.

Some of you would like to see these in a nest, 

but I was afraid someone would think it was just a pile of dust bunnies, so I decided to skip it. ;)

---

Now sit back and indulge me, K?

Here is my Princess on her way to the Kindergarten egg hunt. 

Love that sweater! I found it at a rummage sale with the tags on it!

---

Then....

I scored a photo of the elusive MVP while we were coloring eggs. Actually, he is a great big ham, but they get to an age when they don't necessarily want these pictures posted on the internet, ya know? 

But, just to prove to you that I actually DO have 4 kids...

Isn't he cute? :)

Sugar tried to duck the camera because he didn't want evidence 

of how badly he needs a hair cut. (he is hoping I will forget)(FAT CHANCE)

Princess was very serious about the whole thing.

Turkey just went ahead and ate his.

What's Up?

I have been missing you all so much. I actually have been mentally writing all kinds of posts...photographing my kitchen adventures, etc...but without the time to post about it all. In fact, I have to tell you that there will certainly be some extended interruptions to my blogging between now and back-to-school time-ish. I will try, even if I cannot get any actual "photography" up here, to stop in from time to time to say hello.

For those of you who are not following my every step on facebook (ha!) I did manage to enter PW's most recent photography contest, entitled "BROTHERS". I figured I'd have a load of content to work with...and I do, but alas, it takes a bit of time to do all that fun stuff, so I only had a short time one day. Here is what I came up with:

As I am viewing this one through Blogger, I see some "stuff" that I don't like. 

My older son looks like he has a rash. 

Great. 

Perhaps I should have taken another minute to clean that one up more thoroughly. Oh well. I am what I am and right now, that's b-u-s-y!

And yes, to my loyal photog buddies who will ask, I did run noise reduction. :P



Here is entry number 2........................

Excuse my bias, but I love how this one turned out! I believe this was a texture from Emily Powers, plus some mad photoshopping (It's TOTALLY a verb, I swear!) from yours truly.




In other news, The Princess tried to do me in emotionally last week:

I do not recall losing teeth being part of our deal. In fact, I am pretty sure I have forbidden this whole growing up thing altogether.  *sigh*  But she sure looks cute with her new little gap! :)

What you are seeing here are BEFORE pictures. I have not gotten around to the AFTERS. I know, I know.






I do have a couple of recipes for you, so I will TRY to get them up here, but I make no promises.  :)

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I am republishing this recipe because I have been SOOOO in the mood for these lately.  Yummy!



A few weeks ago, I decided to bake up some more pink-a-licious loveliness for a good friend of mine's birthday. It was so hot out that I decided to skip the heavy chocolate cupcakes I had had in mind and go for something more "summer-y". And so I chose:

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I had seen a few versions of these on the internet, but none really flipped my skirt, so I made up my own.



Here's what you'll need to re-create these:

1 box Lemon Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 stick of butter (1/2 C)
1 cup of water
1/8 C strawberry jello powder
4-6 fresh strawberries, stemmed and chopped


I started with Saucy's recipe for cupcakes, which is the first 4 ingredients listed. To that, I added 1/8 C powdered jello and the chopped strawberries.

Honestly, this was too easy. I kind of feel bad, now that I think about it.

Bake until done. You know me, I didn't time it, but it was 18 minutes or something. Follow the box directions and keep watching and testing till you are satisfied.

The cake was super yummy!

But I can never leave well enough alone.

I had to make some super awesome frosting to pipe on top.

So I did what any respectable, made-from-scratch chef does: I cracked open a can of pre-made lemon frosting and dumped 1/2 of it in the Kitchenaid! Then I softened about 4 oz of cream cheese in the microwave (Martha Stweart's got nothing on me, baby!) and added that to the frosting, dribbled in a few drops of vanilla extract and enough powdered sugar to stiffen it up nicely. I don't know, say 1/2 C, a cup? Just start slowly and stop when it looks about right. Use milk to thin it if you go overboard. Or vodka. Whatever.

If you try this, you have my permission to outright eat the remainder of the can of frosting. You totally deserve it.

I decided to garnish with strawberries, which I do NOT recommend unless you have teensy tiny Smurf sized berries that you can use whole. Mine we regular sized, so I cut them, causing the juice to drip and discolor my pretty yellow frosting. I tried dipping them in white chocolate to stop the bleeding, but it would not stick to the cut (wet) side. (duh!) Also, I tried dying my chocolate pink, but the dye reacted to the chocolate and made it all clumpy. They were still tasty, but I'm just keeping it real here. Not everything we do turns out perfect*.

Also, pretty much everyone agreed while the frosting was amazing by itself, it was too sweet piped on so thick. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't wasted, but I ate them separately. LOL I might suggest a simple cream cheese frosting next time.

I saw another blogger (whose information I have forgotten now) use a cut piece of a drinking straw to garnish her pink lemonade cupcakes. They were adorable! I wish I'd though of that!

I am linking up with these fine blogs:

*or perfect-ly, for that matter ;)

À Bientôt, Jane

Oh Jane!

Did you notice that my title has changed. Well, the fonts did. (I'll pretend that you are so into my blog that you inspect every element each day.) I have used Jane Austen's handwriting for quite a while and I really love it, but my code for the font disappeared when I adopted the new, wider format. I am loving the space (I am not sure you can see it on a smaller monitor), but I will have to go dig poor Jane out soon. 

Apparently I have a face that says "talk to me". 


What do you think?

Here is the evidence:

Scene Number 1:

So one night I am out and about watching my kid take a lesson. Its winter and I am freezing cold, coat on, face buried in a steaming cup of hot tea. A woman near me strikes up a conversation. I respond politely...no...too friendly, I suppose, because she presses on despite my attempts to retreat. Minutes later, my mind begins to wander...here I am, sitting in a public place listening to someone tell me about her laundry list of ailments. Surgery, weight gain, knee tendons, and yes, bowel issues. Good Lord, save me! Am I in a time capsule, transported to some nursing home of the future where there is nothing more exciting than a good diarrhea story? By the time the class ends, I am scared of this woman and take off like a shot, dragging my kid into the parking lot even before he has a chance to get his coat on.

Scene Number 2:

I am 16 working as a checkout girl at the cosmetics counter of Walgreens. It's a weekend and we are busy, so I am ringing people up one after the other. I look up to find my next customer, a little old lady, about 4 ft tall, wearing a blue wool coat. I smile at her (like we are supposed to) and she looks at me and frankly says "They're not for what you think; that was over long ago." She chuckles and leans in closer. "It's that sometimes, if I sneeze or cough, I tinkle a little. It's from having babies. These help keep my bloomers dry." I look down to see she is buying a box of panty liners. Because I am only 16, I am pretty embarrassed, so I smile plasticly and speed through her purchase. After she leaves, I make a mental note never to bear children.

That one seems funny now. LOL

Scene Number 2:

I am in the checkout line at Wal-Mart with two kids in tow. Minding my own business (as I do), I am surprised when I hear the checkout lady comment "Honey, you ain't gonna get quiet in here!". I look up to see Turkey with his hands over his ears saying "It's too loud in here!" (He gets it from his momma.) So I snicker and make an off-handed comment about how it tends to be loud at our house with 4 kids. Apparently that is all it takes for this gal to open the flood gates of her life to me. She tells me that she, too has 4 kids, none more that 2 years apart (except for the first and the last, naturally). She goes on to tell me about their bickering, that her family drinks Pepsi in cans, and that she rarely speaks to her own sister. (So what's the point of trying to make them all get along any way?) She is one of four girls in her family, the baby being a boy, who minds well, despite the fact that he is 17. 

It's not even that I mind the information. I mean, we all have families and what's a friend for, if not to listen? Except that we're not friends. I don't know her...at all.

I could go on and on...

I guess the point is, if you have something you need to get off your chest, I'm your gal.  Is there something that you are dying to talk about?  Or are you the recipient of these little tidbits?

Either way, I am listening, so spill it.