Day 201: Corner View: Spring

Just under the wire, here.  There are already some photos of spring from a week or so ago--and nothing has changed, more's the pity.  The leaves still aren't out, and I haven't seen much in the way of flowers yet.  Not surprising, seeing as how it froze--hard--just a few days ago.

BUT I've been up all night making these little guys for my daughter's spring party tomorrow.  I just couldn't contribute any more candy to the stash.  Bleh.  These little bunnies count as something spring-like--yes? 

Now I've got to get going.  Still have to hot glue the pins on the back of these little bunnies and daub on some more eyes, and although this post is dated Wednesday, it's actually 2:00 Thursday morning for me.   *stifles yawn*

I've done too many crafting photos lately.  I'm done for awhile.  This is turning into a craft/recipe blog, which wasn't my intention.  That's just the way of life these days!

Oh, by the way, you can find the directions to the little bunny pins here.  I also did a bit of augmentation surgery by making a small incision it in the back and then inserting a bit of fiber fill to give it a bit of body.  Then I sutured up the wound and hot-glued the pin on top of the incision. 

And no, I didn't use anesthesia, poor things.  But they were so hopped up on sweetness that they didn't notice any discomfort.  They're Peeps, after all!

Nighters!

Day 200: Rabbit in a Jar

Oy.  All set to do the maple photo today, but it is way too late to do justice to the post.  So here's a photo of some bunny s'mores that some friends gave me yesterday.  You add melted butter, apparently, and put the mixture in a pan and bake.  Voila! 

I think the bunnies are looking a bit worried, don't you? With good reason, since this weekend they are going to be toasted,.  Mwahahahaha!

Day 199: Li'l Puddin'?

It all started when I saw a Facebook SOS last week:  "Chocolate pudding, whipped cream, mashed Oreos. Who wants to make this happen for me?"  Now, I love pudding, and as much as I would have loved to make this happen for Nat, distance was prohibitive.  A day or so later, she posted this.   And it was game over.  Wanted.  Pudding.  Two problems:  My tummy is not taking to milk very well, and even if it did, we didn't have any whole milk.

But then yesterday, hubby says, "Gee, we really need to do something with the half gallon of whole milk in the back of the fridge.  Didn't you buy it for pudding or something?  The best before date was yesterday, but it hasn't been opened."

The heavens parted and the light shone down.  It was meant to be.

Being Canadian and unaware of how many cups in a half gallon etc etc, I asked hubs.  "8 cups.  You can make as much pudding as you'd like."  Quick search in the cupboard revealed a plethora of choices.  So I went a bit mad.  Chocolate cream pie and eight--yes EIGHT bowls--of vanilla-butterscotch mixer with a bit of banana sliced into the bottom.

Topped with fresh whipped cream.

Pudding, anyone?  And Nat--I'll fax you some.

photos taken 03-29

Day 198: Bumble bunnies

OK.  So, last week Kim posted the directions for these cute, little bees.  Aren't they the sweetest little things?  We were going to make them together, but Julia said that it was EASTER, and we shouldn't be making bees out of the empty plastic eggs.  We should be making bunnies, of course.

So we did. 

Using Kim's directions, we altered things a little bit, and made bunnies.  The ears are felt with a bit of wire inside to make them bend.  Whiskers are pieces of fishing line taped together in the middle but then glued down with a daub of hot glue with a pom-pom nose on top.  But they look kind of silly, flying through the air the way they do.  I might need to think up some rabbit feet--for luck.

And YES I will tell you guys all about the Maple Festival.  But I have a photo yet to take of some of the maple goodies from the festival, so I'm going to save it for another day this week when I have nothing else to photograph.  Which will probably happen sooner rather than later--especially if it keeps raining.

Nighters!

Day 197:

Spent the day at a maple festival, but it's so late I'm not posting about it right now.  So there! HA!  I'll do that tomorrow sometime.  But here's a grainy shot of some eggs from a little Easter party the kids went to.  Point and shoot.  No flash.  Low light.

Nighters!!!

Day 196

This photo was HARD to take!  My right arm is killing me.  I should do something like this every day for toned arms, I think.

Anyway, stopped of at the thrift store today for a look see--and look see!  This jacket?  $5.  You heard me.  FIVE dollars.

I was looking for something a bit shorter than this is, but at the price, I can get it shortened and still be way ahead.

Thrift Stores?  Gotta love them!

Day 195: Science Fair

A not so composed photo today.  Science Fair day at the school--what a ball!  Julia and hubs had been working on a project to do with how rocks in lakes and streams get their interesting shapes.  The topic question came about after we spent some time this past summer at the lake at Mom's place.  Julia couldn't get over the stones.  We came home with a handful, of course.  So when she was thinking about a project, she knew just what she wanted it to be about.

The kids had a great time signing each other's shirts.

The classrooms had activities set up, so even Adam had something to do while big sister was talking to the judges:

Book fair, bake sale, some really, REALLY nifty science projects. 

Almost makes up for the forecast that says it's supposed to snow tonight.  SNOW I tell you.

I think I'll go have a cookie.

Day 194 Corner View: Local Architecture

This was a fun challenge. I just wish I had more than half an hour to accomplish it!

My town is a strange mix of pre-1886 and post.  A major flood wiped out much of the town in the late 1800s, leaving a smattering of old, stone buildings downtown and some beautiful Victorian homes at the top of the hill. There is a predominance of beautiful fieldstone, if you can find it among the industrial brick and boarded up buildings that came about when the town started to decline after the steel and coal industries went kerphlooey.

I only had half an hour to race downtown for a few quick pictures.  I hope you enjoy them!

The first are a few photos of a church built in 1844.  It's a very neat building--all curves.  I wish I could have found a place to show you the whole thing, but you get the idea.

Across from it is a hotel.  Much newer.  I'm not sure what's with the grecian columns.  I have nothing AGAINST grecian columns as a rule, but they look really, really out of place on top of this particular building.  But what do I know?

Next to this, yet another church:

I couldn't not show you what made this town what it is today.  It's not pretty, but I it just wouldn't be honest not to include it here.  Not sure if it counts as architecture, though!

For more CVs, go pay Jane a visit at Spain Daily.

Day 194: Freaky floors

No photo ops today.  So here's a bit of our floor.  If you could call it a floor.  It's actually a sub floor that someone varnished.  You can see through some of the knotholes into the basement. Hardwood floors they are not!  But at least you can walk on them.

But as I was looking around looking for something to take a quick photo of, my eye fell on this weird knot thing. 

I'm not sure what it reminds me of, but it's really late.  What do you think?  Kind of face-like, but not really.  Hmn.

Just now, just after inserting the photo, I see that if I look at it more as a profile, it looks kind of like a lady in rollers with her mouth open.  She has pretty hefty nostrils, though, doesn't she?

Day 193: Random Tuesday Thoughts.

I've seen people doing this for awhile now, but haven't jumped in myself.  Until today.

Random Tuesday Thoughts. Here we go:

Don't you love that male cardinals say WHEEE-hoo?

Just dipped a spoon into a jar of caramel sauce and ate it.  No ice cream to mess it up. It was divine.  You should try it, if you haven't already done so.

The symphony called today to ask if I'd play a synthesizer/harp sounding accompaniment for a Palm Sunday performance of Messiah.  Rehearsal this Thursday.  Performance this Sunday.  I was smart and declined.  Yipes!

Why is every horizontal surface a magnet for stuff, I ask you. Why?

It was a grey day.  Now I see sun coming in through the window.  Way to assert yourself, sun! 

Can hardly wait to get the vintage charm bracelet that I won in an Ebay auction.  It's sterling silver in a chased design, and it's lovely.  Now the kids will just have to start filling it up. Hehe.  Why did my heart race when I won the auction?  Isn't that strange? Was it fair to put in my bid in the last 10 seconds?  Was it? 

My thoughts aren't particularly deep.  Hmn.

It's going to be a busy evening.  Way to put things off until the last minute, Lynn-o.

Why is it that raw cookie dough tastes better than when it's baked?  The dough to these double chocolate mint chip cookies is waaay good.

Why these pictures of rocks?  Because J's science fair project is on weathering, so we went out to take some photos to decorate her display with.

 
Why does this photo of the rainbow in the waterfall look so odd?  Because I was trying to stop water for an earlier photo and increased the shutter speed.  Forgot to turn it back.  Bummer.  And what's with the fuzziness, anyway?  So 6:30 tomorrow evening, I'm going back to try again.  Sheepers.

Random Tuesday Thoughts brought to you by Keely.

Day 192

Hubs was at training yesterday and had my computer.  It's probably just as well, because yesterday was one of those annoying kind of days, and I probably would have spent this post venting, which just wouldn't do, now, would it?

BUT yesterday morning while getting ready for church, I decided to wear open toed sandal-y shoes.  And since I've been working on getting my footsies nice and smooth (a bit of pumice stone and lotion every day, just in case you're wondering.), I decided that they deserved a bit of a polish.  I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've polished my toenails.  Anyway, I gave them a very quick, one coat polish and let them dry whilst I dried my hair and such. 

It was shortly after this that the day completely fell apart.  It wasn't a pretty sight.  I won't go into it much, just to say that the frustration with the house being such a disaster area since I started work bubbled over.  Ooooh!  It made me so MAD.  It was all precipitated by not being able to find one of J's brand new shoes, which was with the other one the evening before.  In a fit of frustration, I grabbed the broom and swept EVERYTHING--all the junk that accumulates during five days that I have to try to get a handle of on Saturday and simply cannot possibly do with the other weekend stuff that is also on my plate--into literally mountains in each room of the house.  It was not a pretty picture. Nor was my voice a pleasant, calm, peaceful, mothering voice, I'm afraid. 

Did we find the shoe?  Late last night. 

Where?  I had to get up to bring Adam to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and when I went back to bed, something else was there.  It was the shoe.  Odd, since I'd made the bed and it hadn't been there, but at least it is found.

Why there?  No idea.  The other one was under my bed.  They had been down in the shoe bin, so go figure.

Did we get it all cleaned up, even though we spent 3 full hours on it after church before going to pick up hubs, and even though I spent tons of time with it on Saturday as well?  Nope.  Of course not.  Too much catch up and not enough time.  And I know I know, it was the Sabbath, and we shouldn't have been cleaning anyway.  But with the disaster that the place was in, there wasn't going to be any peace and calm, Sunday feelings until it was somewhat dealt with.  Bleh.

Will we get it caught up?  I'm afraid probably not until M is in California and I'm full-time momming and housekeeping again.

Did I take a photo of the mess?  You've got to be kidding me!  Of course...NOT!

What made me smile in the midst of all of this disaster of a day?

Six things:  We DID get to church, athough we got there late.  It was a gorgeous day.  The cardinals sang "WHEEE-hoo!" We had a picnic lunch outside after church before we started tidying up.  The kids really, really tried to help me.  And finally, whenever I looked down, I saw this:

Maaan, feet are ugly, aren't they?  But the polish made me smile.  How odd is that?

Photo for today will be up later this evening.  It will probably be of rocks or some such strangeness, since we have to go take some photos for Julia's science fair project today.

Day 191: Little Bitty Baby Bits

Just guess what I got to do today?  I am the luckiest girl.  Truly.

I haven't gone through them all yet, but here are a couple of my faves.  After they left, I remembered that I wanted to try some other things, since I've never done baby photos before.  D'oh.  I guess that means my friends need to start having more babies so I can do more of these.  Adorable.

There's something so sweet and perfect about little bitty baby bits.

Note to self: Next time remember to turn BOTH lights on.  Whoops.  We'll just call it dramatic lighting and that I meant to do that.

Thanks for letting me take B-Boo's photos today!

Day 190: Lovin' the Spring Thing

It was lovely park weather.  Picked up Ms. J at the bus and walked to the playground, which is finally un-mudded enough to enjoy.

And look what was there! 

The kids, of course, had a blast.  I messed around with saturation a bit for fun.

I once again will bemoan not having the proper lens.  I have one that's too short (55 mm, the kit lens) that has IS.  And a looooong one that does not. Nothing in between, so getting shots of kids as they run around is pretty hard right now.  Ah well.  Maybe by the end of the summer my piggy bank will be full.

We were at the playground for an age.  So I messed around with the playground equipment.  And with crazy photoediting.  Here are a couple:

HA!  I couldn't resist.

****

In other news:

Spring uncovers mangled body of shopping cart buried in snow pile:

The police released a statement indicating that Mr. Plow is a vehicle of interest in this case.  If you know the whereabouts of Mr. Plow, please contact the local authorities.

Day 189: Can it be true?

On one side of the yard is a little pile of snow, but on the other?

Just look!

These little guys are so brave.  I love their spunk.

Between these little, brave shoots of green and the sound of the kids laughing as they played...in the YARD...well, maybe it's true that Spring really IS coming!

Day 188: Corner View

OK.  Today's Corner View is front door.

Hoo-Boy.  Our front door is uuuuugly.  It's ancient, and until we get the house sided, we're not going to get a new front door.

Don't believe me?  Here's an...uh...detail.

But I couldn't possibly use THAT as the real corner view photo.  I mean, honestly.  I almost resorted to taking a photo of Julia's doll house's front door!  But I refrained admirably.

So here's what I messed around with.  Reflection in the glass.  In b&w so you couldn't see the hack job on the window ledge.  Eep!

OK.  Here it is:

OK.  Win some, lose some with a photo a day.  Better luck at next week's Corner View!

Now off to knock on Jane's front door to take a gander at some nice looking front doors.  I'll take notes.  And drool.

Day 187

Got to spend the evening with some fun women at the church tonight. 

The dessert made me happy.  Doesn't it make you smile, too?

Nothing says spring is here than green coconut and jellybeans, don't you think?

****

I hope you don't mind the new look.  I'll probably be tweaking it over the next few days.  I was feeling like the room was a bit squishy, and I needed to take out some furniture and pull in some things that were a bit more fresh and uncluttered looking, while still keeping the occasional overstuffed chair.  What did you think about the slideshow on the last one?  Should I try to incorporate it in here somewhere?  Maybe in the side bar?  Dunno..

****

ALSO, did you see?  Somehow I've slipped through the half way point of 365 Days!  Wheeee!!! 

I think this calls for a cupcake...

Last week's Corner View

This is one of two posts for today, since these are archive photos and don't count towards my photo of the day.  I was going to have my husband set up a new scenario for me to photograph, but we simply have not had time.  But I really wanted to show you a bit of what he does, and last week's Corner View was perfect for it.  Except that it's late late late, at this point.

So, without further ado, here are a few photos that I took last year for the newspaper to accompany a story the paper did on the miniatures group.  I was using my old point and shoot, and simply can't take the time today to go and edit them for clarity and such.  But you get the idea.  My husband hand painted all of these.  Pretty amazing, eh? 

FYI, these are the Byzantines going to battle against a bunch of crusaders, including some Norman peasants.

Day 186: Soulier Shopping

So.

Ms. J needed new shoes.  Badly.  Problem?  Hard to fit feet.

Off to the mall we go.  Mission?  Two pairs of black shoes.  One to wear ONLY to church (since she scuffs up shoes so badly they get horrible looking fairly quickly) and another to wear when she wants to wear skirts and such to school, which is quite often.

Ugh.  We looked EVERYWHERE.  Not her size.  One foot fit fine, heel slipped out the other.  argh.  Argh.  ARGH!!

Resorted to Payless for a pair of church shoes.  Sorry, Payless, but due to previous experience, I doubt very much the sole will stay attached at the toe much past the first couple of wears.

Then to the far end of the mall for a last shot at Boscov's.  At this point, we were in a huge rush, so quickly asked a sales lady where the shoes were.  Off we go.  Three (3) pairs of children's shoes.  Sigh.  On the way out, the same sales lady is passes us.  "Did you find what you needed?" she asked.  "Nope.  Very few children's shoes there."  "Try upstairs, they might have a few pairs in the children's department."

JACKPOT!!!  A whole tableful on CLEARANCE!  Yippeee!

Don't you just love the lining?  Love, love love.  (As I'm typing this, I'm watching "Eloise at the Plaza," once of my favorite, favorite, favorite children's books and the movie is fabulous.  Julie Andrews as the nanny?  Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.") 

So, shoes in tow (toe?) we triumphantly leave the shop, share teriyaki chicken in the food court, then home.  

Mission?

Accomplished. 

Day 185: Puffins

This morning I decided, since we had enough time before church, to make cinnamon puffs.  Mom used to make these, and every once in awhile I make a batch.  "The bishopric could use a pick up after morning meetings," I said to myself.  And proceeded to double the batch.  "Cream shortening and sugar."  Shortening?  In.  2 cups sugar?  Check.  Turn on kitchenaid.

Crud.  2 cups sugar DIVIDED.  OK.  How to fix this?  The recipe was already doubled.  Now it had to be doubled AGAIN.  I had bowls and muffin tins all over the place, mixing here, taking from there, adding here--it was a frenzy of bakey craziness.  I should have taken a picture of my kitchen, every counter with a bowl or pan full of muffin batter.  Enough batter to make 4 dozen muffins, only two pans, and 30 minutes before we have to leave for church.

Crumbs.

Fill muffin tins a bit more than normal.  Put the rest of the batter in a loaf pan.  Close the oven door.  Set the timer, and hope for the best.

Here's what we got:

And finally:

The loaf also worked, but it is wrapped now and ready for delivery.  Frankly, we're puffined out!

Here the recipe (not doubled!)

1-1/2  cups flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground nutmeg, divided (Hmn.  Reading this now, I realize I didn't divide the nutmeg either.  Just threw in the whole kaboodle.  Sheesh)

1/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar, divided

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter or margarine.

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a medium mixign bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 tsp nutmeg (in retrospect, I like them so much with the full dose of nutmeg, I might just keep it full strength, and then add extra when needed at the end.  But I digress).    In another bowl, beat shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, egg, and vanilla until well blended.  Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat in the milk until smooth.  Fill each cup of a lightly greased 12-up muffin tin two-thirds full with batter.  Bake 20 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Melt butter using your preferred method of meltage.  Personally, I use the microwave.  If a  blow torch works for you, go crazy.  In a small bowl, combing 1/2 cups sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg (which, since I had put the whole shabang in with the batter, and since I was in such a flurry at this point, I didn't include here today).  While the puffs are warm, dip each one in butter, then in sugar mixture, coating thoroughly.  Store in an airtight container.

The Bish, being from the south, looked at them and said, "I'll bet these would be great with butter."  Ah yes--puffins made with shortening, dipped in butter, and then slathered in more butter!  Paula Dean would be so pleased...