Happy May Day!!!! We have a winner!!!!! Congrats Tanyetta! You are the winner of my little package, I will get it right out to you. Hope you and Ella Elephant will be very happy together! I have to admit to feeling kind of nervous about this whole thing but it was really fun and I will definitely be doing it again. Hope ya'll come back and visit!

Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway!!!!!

Today is the last day!!!!

You can just comment on this post, the original is down there at the bottom. Good luck!

Gluten-free chocolate cake!!

Yes, I have posted this cake before, it is the famous garbanzo bean cake, but this time I added German chocolate frosting. Even if you don't have a problem with gluten I think of this cake as almost a freebie, I mean it has no oil, no butter and is based on beans which are healthy for you. Or is that just my justification? All I know is it is yummy and I don't feel guilty eating it, well at least not until I add the super-yummy frosting! So once again here is the cake recipe and I have added the frosting after. Cake: Add the following to your blender 2 cans of chickpeas(garbanzo beans), 1 1/2 c melted chocolate chips, 6 eggs,1 1/2 c sugar 1 1/2 t baking powder. Blend them all together until smooth. If your blender isn't quite big enough you can add the chocolate after it is all blended together. I did this one in layers so I poured it into greased 9 inch pans and baked about 25 min at 350.

Frosting: In a large saucepan combine the following 1 can evaporated milk, 1 1/2 c sugar, 3/4 c butter, 4 egg yolks. Cook and stir on med heat about 12-15 minutes or until thickened and golden brown. Remove from heat. Add 1 t vanilla. Stir in 2 2/3 c coconut and pecans if desired. I don't add the nuts. Beat until cool and spreadable. Enjoy!

My favorite kid thing of the week:

Books on tape! We discovered this by accident. We started listening to them with our 7 year old when she was about 3 just to kill boredom in the car. She has always loved them and now insists on listening to them everywhere, in the car, while she is playing, swinging, drawing, whatever. And she is reading at about a 7th grade level. I figure it is like having someone read to you all day every day! So give it a try, now the only problem we have is that she has listened to jus about everything our library has!

It's our anniversary today!

Yep, fourteen years ago today these mere children(21 and 22) tied the eternal knot. It is hard to believe it has been so long! Boy have we had fun! Lucky for us we had a few years together to finish growing up before we had kids and that was fun and now that we are in the thick of the kid thing it is fun too. I really am lucky to have married a funny, kind, crazy, hard-working, super smart guy who still manages to put up with me and love me! Love you bunches and happy anniversary William!

Anybody love Barbies?

We do! My mother found these adorable, handmade, vintage barbie clothes thrifting the other day. The detail this woman put into these is amazing! Not to mention what her eyesight must have been! So mom was thinking of selling them and didn't really want to do the ebay thing. So if you should happen to want them leave me a comment with your email and maybe we can work something out. I think she was thinking about $20 for the lot plus shipping. I guess I could put them in my etsy shop, they are handmade, just not by me. Is that legal on etsy? Anyhow just enjoy taking a peek at them! I know I did!

I just finished this for my sister's laundry room. Hope you like it Tiff!

It's a Giveaway!!!!!

I have decided to have a May Day giveaway. So, if you would like to win the fun little items shown which include one of my favorite pinky polka-dot bags, Ella Elephant, a couple of springy bracelets, a tiny little spring painting and a fun tin of lip gloss, just leave me a comment on this post before midnight on the 30th. I will have my kids draw a name on May Day which is Tuesday the first of May! If you don't have an account just click anonymous but do leave me a name and don't forget to check back, I will need the e-mail and snail mail address for the winner. Please feel free to spread the word, the more the merrier! By the way you can see more animals and bags in my etsy shop.

Here is another fun give away you have to check out! I love blog world!

More treasures!
I forgot to post this one and it is my favorite. The clasp is broken so I am thinking of cutting it apart and using pieces to make some kind of bracelet for each of my grandma's granddaughters, she only had four.

Look at my pretties! My mom was going through some more of my grandma's things and found these. After reading Vanessa's blog about jewelry the other day I just had to keep some! I'm not sure I will really wear the earrings, they are clips(ouch!) but as you can see the pink brooch looks cute on my denium jacket! The colors are really prettier in real life of course.

This is my grandma, the orignial owner of my new lovelies! Isn't she the cutest war-bride ever?!

Mother's day is coming! I think this is a great idea from Martha. I think I will do it for Mother's Day. Do the rest of you have this problem? We are now moms and so would like to enjoy our own day, but we still want to provide our own moms with a special day. Now I know ideally the men would all just magically pitch right in and do it all for us but let's face it that is just not going to happen at my house. My hubby does pretty well on my behalf but extending to the mom's-in-law, well, not going to happen. So, I think this is a great idea because it makes dinner look special but the men can clean up because all they need is a garbage can!

P.S. Instructions: Cut around an ordinary white paper plate with scallop scissors and then go nuts with different punches to create a pattern. Place a colored plate beneath for contrast or reverse.

I want this! Okay I will probably not be paying the $180 that it costs, but I am considering attempting my own version. I think I could build it on a hula-hoop and not put the floor in. Doesn't it look fun? And I finally have a tree big enough to hang it from! I'll let you know if I ever do it.

I have decided to hope for spring/summer! Since we can't seem to get out of the 50's and I have yet to sit through a warm soccer game I am using this image to help me think of beaches and warm! Aren't these cute! Love this catalog Jenni had on her blog. The cute fairy tent above came from it too. It is called chasing fireflies and I would take one of everything in there! Hope the sun is shining where you are!

Look at this fun give-away! Go over to Natasha's and comment, or maybe don't, because I really want it!

After yesterday's awful images, which I admit I only managed to watch for about 30 min last night after my kids were in bed because as a mother they absolutely terrify me, I need some nicer images. So I took these out in the yard. I had to hurry and take some of my bleeding heart because it is supposed to storm again and it is so darn fragile. I do love spring!

After yesterday's horrible events in Virginia I find myself looking for a good escape book. A different time period, and preferably a whole different part of the world. These are two of my favorites that I will be re-reading. Tisha takes place in Alaska in 1927 and is about a nineteen year old girl who goes to teach school in a small mining community. It doesn't get much more removed from springtime in Utah than that! The second is The Ladies of Missalonghi. It is by the same author as the Thornbirds but I really like it better and it is much smaller. It is set in the early 1900's in Austrailia and is about three single ladies, a mother, daughter and aunt who have very predictable, dare we say boring, lives until a divorced cousin moves to town. It is really lovely and clever. It isn't to earth shaking or too exciting, sort of just a slice of life. I don't know why, but after things like yesterday's shooting times past really appeal to me. I'm sure it only seem like their lives were more peaceful to me, probably wouldn't have to them, but somehow they don't seem nearly as violent. Hope maybe one of these will provide a little escape for you!!

I went thrifting with the kids this morning, there is a real adventure for you, and I found this old reader. I don't know what I am going to do with it but it was so cute I had to take it home. Maybe I can decopage it onto something, I don't know, any one have any ideas? What would you do with it?

Isn't this lovely?

The artist is Emily Mcphie and this was on the cover of the byu alumni magazine that arrived at our house yesterday. I have to admit this publication does not always get my full attention but with this on the cover it sure did! She is the daughter of James Christensen, one of utah's better known artist, but I think I really love her style better than her father's, I think you can tell she is a mom who likes her children.

My life is all about SLEEP!

I realize after reading yesterday's post how out of it sleep deprivation makes me. I swear I think I would probably be more reliable on drugs. Mr. Joshua, pictured above, and much more angelic than he has been the last couple of days, has been on a mission to wake me at least every 1-2 hours all night long for the last couple of nights. Knowing he didn't feel well I cut him some slack but thank heavens last night was much better because I don't know if we were going to make it around here much longer under those circumstances. Mommy was getting mean and stupid! So now that I feel like a human again let me correct yesterday's mistakes. The listings at etsy aren't going to expire, who knows where I got that, but I am still glad I put those things on sale, they need to move it. More importantly the artist of the pretty birds is Jennifer Kerr and you can see her shop here. And you should she has lovely things. So, I am wishing you all a great day and lots of good sleep tonight!

Isn't this lovely? Vanessa was talking about this lovely girl on her blog yesterday so I went over to her etsy shop and she has such wonderful things! The twigs on this branch are made from sculpey clay! Amazing!

These guys are on SALE! Thier listing expires soon so I thought I would see if we could still find them homes! They are here.

I've been ripple-ing!

You know the most fun thing for me about blogs is how they get me all inspired to try something new. I love Alicia's blog, she had so much fun with her ripple blanket and it turned out so lovely I decided I wanted to try. Keep in mind I don't really crochet much and I had certainly never done this before. But it has been really fun! Mine will only be a throw-size afghan and will have lots of boo-boo's, but I love it! And Emily is constantly making me wish I had all sorts of talents that I'm not sure I necessarily have. She did such lovely little sculptures with sculpey clay a few weeks ago I had to try that too. The kids thought it was great fun. And I have already shown my attempt at yummy bread from Amy. Best of all are all the lovely, funny things to look at and enjoy everywhere, Vanessa and Tiffany are two of my favorites in that department. There are just so many fun ladies out there! Thank you so much for brightening my world by sharing yours!

New painting!

I don't know what it is about Kimberly Hodges but her work just makes me so happy. Last week I was in a less than great mood but by the time I was done copying this I felt so much better! It is not my best photo, but the painting still makes me smile!

No Knead Bread

I made this incredible bread!

I know you are thinking it is just bread right? Wrong! I seriously think this must be what manna must have tasted like! But maybe it tastes even better because it was so easy. I saw it on Angry chicken's blog and tried it and I am now on my third loaf. Now I am obsessed with trying to adapt it to a gluten-free version. So go over to angry chicken and check out her pictures and the link to the recipe, I think she posted it on March 26. You will be glad you did!

I am adding the recipe so I will always have it:

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting¼ teaspoon instant yeast 1 Tablespoon salt Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid, turn down the oven to 415 and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

I hope your Easter is as lovely as our Magnolia tree today!

Happy Easter!

May the easter bunny find your house and may you enjoy this lovely season of joy and rebirth!

Hubby made more pots! They are just getting better and better, unlike my blurry picture here, but the kids are dying to get on the computer so they will have to sufice for now!

This is why I have kids!

I had a friend ask me at Christmas time who does not have kids what it was that I enjoyed about being a stay-home mom. It was an interesting question, and I actually had a hard time answering it for a few minutes, I'm still not sure I did a good job at the time. So I still think about it occasionally. Now sometimes there are days when I almost wonder at my decision to be a mom. I mean it really is the world's hardest job and it never, ever ends. Those I serve tend to be sticky, whiny, sometimes naughty. But then come those moments when I remember it all is worth it. My seven year old achieves some great accomplishment with such a big, happy, toothless smile. My four year old tells me a great story like only he can. And my baby discovers the wonder of water. He was in the tub last night and was so absolutely hypnotised by falling water in his tub. I thought to myself this is it, this is why I do this, so I can be the one sitting here when he first decides this new thing is just amazing! Then I get them all in bed, which seems like the biggest accomplishment ever, and they all look so lovely asleep that it is all worth it! And so I will do it all over again today!

Okay folks, which one do we like better? With rick-rack or without?

One of these at least is over at the shop

I am so Lucky!
I have a very talented husband, long before he started developing his pottery talents he was a woodworker. His family owned an older house and spent most of his growing up years remodeling it. As the oldest child he helped his Dad a lot and therefore is a very good handyman. But his real love is for wood. Before we were even married he started making me things, jewerly boxes mostly and frames for pictures. And he has never stopped. The steel plant he manages closes every year at Christmas for almost two weeks and he usually uses the time to create something. This is always very exciting, he always does beautiful work. Only problem is he does not take requests. He has to get all inspired in his own head and then he is off. Luckily I have never disliked anything he has ever made! So I decided to showcase a few of my favorite things he has created this morning. Funny I don't think I realized how many pieces he has made for us until I started looking around to photo some. This is why the local furniture store rarely sees us I guess! See how lucky I am! The walnut chair took several years as he pretty much carved and sanded the whole thing. He did our mantel in our living room after he remodeled the room and the entertainment unit was this Christmas's adddition--after 10 years of begging( see what I mean about his own time-table--but it is always worth the wait!)

These are some of the things he has done for the kids. The playhouse started out as a window seat and he just sort of got carried away. The shelves in the boys room became a home for the legos Hubby likes to do as a stress-relief when there is no time for wood. Great,but they were taking over our room and it was like having a ten year old boy for a roommate. This is much better!

New bags in the shop!

I finished some bags this weekend. I decided to go with some polka-dots. What is it about polka-dots that just makes me happy? This one is my Springtime polka-dot tote and it is here.