Happy Halloween

I've been thinking about getting back to blogging one of these days!  

We'll see what happens...  

Some day I'll be back, but for now it's just to wish you all a Happy Halloween from the newest pumpkin in our patch!

We love those buns, Chase James!

Etsy Lovin'

I'm finally ready to announce this fun project that I've been working on (for quite some time)...

This is my partial excuse for neglecting this poor blog (the two crazy little ones keep me pretty busy too).  I really do hope to give the blog a bit more attention in the upcoming months, at least by posting some of my recent creations!

Anyway, the news is...
I've got my fun little etsy shop up and running!

SANDPAPERnSILLYPUTTY.etsy.com 

 I've been busy creating custom artwork, pillows and children's clothing!  Above is a little peek at my wooden signs.  I'll post some of my pillows and kids clothing soon (or just go check out my site)!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the stories that total strangers share with me.  I love creating personalized gifts, that I hope hold special meaning.

I've done so much fun custom work (nursery decor, weddings decor, baby shower gifts, special mother's day gifts, even worried grooms-to-be looking for the perfect gift).  It's such fun to create for these special occasions!

So there you have it.  That's just a little bit of what's keeping me busy these days and I'm hoping it will continue to keep me busier and busier because I thoroughly enjoy it!

Check out my shop when you get a moment and let me know if you've got requests.  I do love those custom orders!

OH and... since you're still hanging in there and reading this blog that so seldom gets a post, you deserve SOMETHING special!

Here's a 10% off code for an order on my etsy shop:
BLOGREADER

I hope you find something you like!

And one more quick note...this may be the best part yet...I'm at 97 sales on the etsy site!  If you're sale #100 you just may get somethin' special!

best. day. ever.

Today marks 9 years with my favorite guy.  

I'm so grateful for all that we've done so far and I can't wait for what's to come.

I just went a little crazy with the reminiscing, so forgive me for all the photos!  I just loved this day so much.  And, wow, we looked really young.

just so much fun...

 Happy anniversay, my love!  Thanks for making every day an adventure and every night a slumber party.

 And most of all, thanks for the countless happy moments with these two.

Beautiful wedding photos by Holland Studios.  Sweet family photo by Jack and Lola Photography.

a little more Easter decor

Here's another simple, toddler friendly project, that makes some really pretty Easter decor!

Chances are you've got all you need for this project lying around the house.
Scrounge up some balloons and twine/string/yarn, then hit the kitchen for some flour and water and you're ready to start!
Blow up balloons to the size and shape that you'd like your eggs.  If you're going for "real" egg size you may want to try water balloons.  
Make a paste with the flour and water.  I used 1/4 cup flour and slightly less than 3/4 cup water.  You want the paste fairly runny so you don't up with chunky eggs.  Whisk well until no lumps remain. 

I found that it took about 18yds of twine per egg.  Our eggs were pretty large, though, so you may need to experiment to get the perfect amount of twine.  We used regular jute twine (that I buy at home depot) and some cute baker's twine.  I actually like the look of the regular twine better and it's a whole lot cheaper.  Plain old yarn would work great too!

Make sure to saturate the twine with your paste, then wring it out so it's not lumpy.  Wrap the twine around the balloon however you'd like!

It takes about 24 hours for these to fully dry.  You might be able to get away with less time if you dry them outdoors? 

The really fun part comes in when you pop the balloons and are left with these great twine eggs!

Now the house is all decorated for Easter!  Happy Easter everyone!

It's Easter time!

It's Easter week!  That means no school, lots of messes, a little bit of a headache and mostly lots of FUN.  I've got a few Easter themed projects in mind for the week and the best of intentions to get them up on the blog!

We kicked off the week with a super simple (and tasty) one this weekend.  We call them Krispie eggs.

This is quick, delicious, festive and definitely toddler friendly!

All you need are those plastic eggs that the easter bunny keeps leaving you (if you're like us you've accumulated WAY too many) and the ingredients for some good old fashioned Rice Krispie treats (that's butter, marshmallows and Rice Krispies).  We added some spring colored non-pareils to make these look extra festive!

Here's how to make these cute Krispie eggs!

Butter the insides of your plastic eggs (it made about 18 small eggs) and set aside
Melt 3 Tbs butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Add 40 large marshmallows and continue to stir over low heat until completely melted.
Remove from heat and add 6 cups Rice Krispies (and non-pareils if you choose).
Stir well, until completely combined and very sticky.

Once you've got your super gooey goodness ready, just shove it into the eggs!  You want them pretty full, but they need to be able to close.  It's super simple - my 3 year old was great at it.

To make things easier and prevent way to much stickiness, dip your fingers in water before touching the krispie goo.  It really helps.

Leave the Krispie goo in the eggs until completely cool, then open up the eggs to reveal your treats!  

So cute, so tasty.  I bet we'll make these again before Easter!

Love . . . and a little chocolate

I'm back on the blog (at least for today)!  I've been busy enjoying life with the little one's.  They are as fun as can be right now.  I wish I could push the pause button for a while!

We're loving Valentines season this year.  It's a lovely little holiday.  I've got some real sweeties in my life and it's a good reminder to tell everyone how wonderful they are.  Plus, there's chocolate around every corner and you can't beat that.  Carson and I have eaten our weight in Valentine's M&Ms this week.

We whipped up a batch of M&M blondies for dad's office!  Those lawyers could always use some sweet stuff.

This is the simplest recipe ever.  It's perfect with chocolate chips, nuts or whatever you like.  It's obviously DELICIOUS with festive M&Ms.

We love it because it's similar to chocolate chip cookies, but much simpler.  It takes about 10 minutes to get these made and into the oven and they turn out great every time.  Just don't overcook!

PERFECT BLONDIES

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup melted butter
1 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tablespooons vanilla extract
A bag of M&Ms (or chocolate chips/nuts/whatever you fancy)

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a mixing bowl.  Cream together melted butter and brown sugar in a separate bowl.   Beat together eggs and vanilla.  Add to the brown sugar mixture.  Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients, mixing well.  Fold in your M&Ms (we also used chocolate chips), saving some to decorate the top.  Smooth the batter into a 9x13" pan and sprinkle the top with the reserved M&Ms.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and set on top.  Do not overcook!

Share them with your loves!

HAPPY HEART DAY!!!

a little extra fun...

It's the middle of the week and the school year is already off and running for many kids (meaning I'm busier than ever with my REAL job).  It's an adjustment to be back at work again now that things are busy, so we need a little mid-week pick me up.

What better than a super fun and easy recipe that is just plain delicious? 

We made this a few weeks ago to celebrate my cute little niece and her big birthday #3.  It was our first go at homemade funfetti and we'll never go back to the box.  It was so tasty I knew we'd make it again soon.

 So here goes!

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes

• 1 and 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 6oz. greek yogurt  (we used vanilla)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup sprinkles (must use jimmies - NOT non-pariels)

And to perfectly top 'em off...
Vanilla Buttercream

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• a splash of milk, heavy cream or half + half
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. 
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk sugars and melted butter until it's lump free. Whisk in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until relatively smooth.  Gently stir in sprinkles, being careful not to overmix.
Spoon batter into greased cupcake (or cake) pan. Bake for approx. 13 minutes.  Allow to cool.

To make the buttercream, beat butter with mixer until smooth and creamy (2-3 minutes). Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes.

When cupcakes have cooled frost away and top with sprinkles!

 Oh, so tasty!

a pretty little mess

I'm not one to shy away from a little mess (if you are this might not be the thing for you) so bring on the rainbow rice!

This is a pretty popular activity that most teachers are very familiar with (my Kindergarten class LOVED this activity), but I thought I'd write about it because it's just so darn fun....and cheap...and easy.

If you have a toddler and you haven't tried this - go for it.  You won't be disappointed.  It'll keep your little one occupied, but you might just end up playing in it right beside them.  It's fun!  Provided you own a broom - I think you'll love it!

Here's what you need (you may have it all in the pantry)!
White rice ~ we went big and got a 20lb bag
Food Coloring ~ we love this gel variety but I'm sure anything works
Vinegar
Large ziploc bags ~ or small depending upon the amount you're making

All you have to do is:
Measure 4 cups of rice into each bag
mix 1/4 cup vinegar with a nice blob of food coloring to reach desired color
add colored vinegar to your rice and shake, shake, shake
WAIT
It takes about 4 hours to dry in the open ziploc bags BUT if you're impatient like we are, it only takes 15 minutes in a 225 degree oven.

PLAY, PLAY, PLAY,
preferably on a hard wood floor,
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP
and
REPEAT.

The bonus here - it's edible - though definitely not tasty.  Pickled rice anyone?

how time flies...

when you're having fun.

Today we celebrate 8 years.

7.29.06

one of the very best days of my life.  

I wouldn't change a thing 

(even if pinterest had been around).

Jeff, you are perfect for me.

Looking through our wedding photos makes me giddy all over again.  I could have posted 50.  But, somehow, our wedding slideshow is still on the web 8 years later.   I think I'll watch it 20 times today.

sweet summertime

We've been loving life and enjoying summer in the beautiful northwest.  I promise I will be back with more of those sensory activity boxes, but for now we're more than busy simply enjoying the great outdoors and plenty of quality family time.

Summer just wouldn't be complete without...

 a good old fashioned Independence Day parade - Carson was so overwhelmed with patriotism that he slept through the entire parade.  It sure made for a cute float (and a 3rd place ribbon!),

a great catch (and release),

a little exotic wildlife,

and, of course, PLENTY of time playing on the farm.

Charlotte is lovin' summer just as much as the rest of us!  Her days are filled with lots of new experiences and plenty of long summer naps.

Happy Summer!

keepin' busy!

With a sweet baby sis in the family, Carson is quickly learning that we can't always drop everything and do exactly as he pleases.  He's learned that lesson pretty quickly, but I do have a collection of emergency activities that come in handy when I just have to keep him occupied.

I've put together quite a few fun ideas that are perfect for keeping little toddlers busy when you've got to send an email, throw in a load of laundry or whip up a quick dinner.

I'm going to do a few posts on this subject, so be on the lookout for at least one a week for the next few weeks! 

The best thing about these activities is that each one fits in this men's shoe box, so they can easily be stored away (and stacked) AND they each cost less than $10.

So here's activity box #1...

Jelly Beadz
This is the easiest box there is (thanks to Amazon!).  All you need are these beadz, your plastic shoe box, and some water and you've got HOURS of fun.  Throw in some kitchen utensils and it gets even more exciting.  Honestly, I couldn't help but play with these for awhile too, they're awesome.

 

This activity is NOT for children that still put things in their mouths!  The jelly beadz are non-toxic, but they're certainly not for snacking on! 

grapefruit raspberry bread

We've been out to the desert a few times this spring and we've got quite the collection of ripe grapefruits.  I'm not a huge fan of grapefruit all on it's own, but luckily I'm a huge fan of this bread so they certainly won't go to waste.  This stuff is so good I'm not sure it can even be called bread - maybe cake?  Well, whatever you call it, it's definitely worth making a batch.  In fact, my sous-chef, Carson, claims "I'm never eating anything else but this.  FOREVER!"

Grapefruit Raspberry Bread
inspired by ina garten

ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vanilla yogurt (I use non-fat)
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons grapefruit zest (I just zest one grapefruit and use it all)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups raspberries
1/3 cup grapefruit juice

directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan or a few mini loaves.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, zest, vanilla and oil.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (I use my electric mixer).  Coat the raspberries in a spoonful of flour (to prevent them from sinking to the bottom).  Fold the raspberries gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan/s and bake for about 35 (small loaves) - 55 (large loaf) minutes.

While your bread is baking, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and that extra tablespoon of sugar in a small pan until the sugar completely dissolves.  Set aside to cool.

When the loaves are done, allow to cool for a few minutes.  While the cake is still warm, poke a bunch of tiny holes in it with a toothpick and use a butter knife to go around the outside edges (releasing it from the pan) pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in.  Remove loaves from pans and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Don't eat the whole loaf at once!

life is good

I'm back!  It's been a long break from blogging... 
but, I've got a great excuse!

I've been busy with my little ones and time has been too precious to take a break and blog.

So here she is...

The newest addition to the family...

We're pretty crazy about her.  She's almost 12 weeks now and changing every day. 
I'll share more soon.  I promise.
But for now, I must go play!

Another huge thanks to my wonderful, wonderful friend, Jenna (jennabeth.com), for capturing more amazing moments. 

happy new year!

I know we're half way through January already, but better late than never!  We're finally getting back into the swing of things after spending the holidays in the Northwest.
We couldn't have asked for a better time.  I know I've heard this said before, but I now can completely confirm, that the only thing better than being a child at Christmastime is watching your child enjoy Christmastime. 

We made so many great memories this year.  Now, we're just looking forward to meeting our new little one (due in a month) and all that lies ahead in 2014!

thanksgiving already?!

I can't believe it's that wonderful time of year again!  I always feel like I need an extra month just to prepare for the holidays and enjoy all the great times that this season brings.  Of course, I'm not getting an extra month, so we're just cramming in as much fun and festivity as our little family can handle.

With thanksgiving being next week, I'm off to the market to buy the necessary goodies.  We're enjoying a nice family celebration as usual, and everyone brings their specialty.  With my sweet tooth, I'm in charge of dessert.

I know I'd be in BIG trouble if I skipped the apple pie (I better share that recipe soon - it's REALLY good) so it stays.  But, this year I think I'll be swapping the good ol' pumpkin pie for a lemon meringue.  Our family just isn't crazy about pumpkin pie and my meyer lemon tree has SO many ripe lemons right now, it just feels like the right thing to do.

Plus, I've got my grandma's lemon meringue pie recipe that just can't be beat.

Here are the delicious directions:

for the lemon filling:

10 tablespoons cornstarch

4 cups water

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 egg yolks (whites reserved for the meringue)

4 tablespoons butter

10 tablespoons lemon juice (I usually use 4 large lemons)

 4 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1. In a saucepan whisk together cornstarch, sugar and salt.  Gradually add 1 cup water and heat until smooth

2. Stir in lemon juice, zest, and remaining water.

3. Stir often until mixture come to a boil.

4. Stir in butter.

5. Beat yolks and gradually add in 1/2 cup of the hot sugar mixture.

6. THEN add eggs to the mixture.

7.Whisk egg yolk mixture back into sugar mixture.

8. Bring to a boil and continue to stir constantly until thick.

9. Remove from heat, cool and add mixture into baked shell.

for the meringue:

1. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until stiff. 

2. Add 6 tablespoons of sugar.  

3. Place on pie (swirl it around with the back of a spoon to make decorative peaks and valleys).  

Bake at  325* for 10 or so minutes until meringue is golden on tips.

ENJOY!

happy halloween

We've been counting down the days...
it's finally halloween!

We've visited the pumpkin patch,

 

found the perfect pumpkin,

 and made a few new friends along the way.

Now it's time to debut the perfect costumes (the banana's behind the camera),

 and get us some CANDY (just what a 2 year old needs)!

I hope everyone has a fun filled halloween!

pumpkin practice

 We've had a warm October here in California (as usual), so we're not quite ready to carve our pumpkins yet.  But that doesn't mean we're not practicing and planning our perfect jack o' lantern face every day!

I found these really inexpensive wood pumpkins at Michaels, painted them with a batch of homemade chalkboard paint (recipe below), and we've been practicing our decorating ever since.

All you need to make your own chalkboard paint is:

• latex paint (any color, any finish)
• unsanded grout

Mix one Tablespoon of grout for each 1/2 cup of paint (you don't need to be exact).  Simply mix the ingredients together until the big lumps are gone and get painting.  Two coats should work just fine.

it's a . . .

GIRL!

We spent the WHOLE weekend celebrating!  Saturday it was all about Carson. We celebrated with an afternoon picnic (details to come). 

And Sunday it was all about the newest member of our growing family.  One of my very best friends threw us an amazing gender reveal party.  She planned every detail perfectly and we couldn't have been happier and more surprised.  It was well documented too (since she's a pro-photographer).  I've shared lots of her photos, but I can't say enough great things about her work, so check it out!  I'm sure I'll have more great party photos to share soon.

I've been on cloud 9 all day and I'm sure I will be all week.  It's so exciting to share such amazing moments with friends and family.  This will be one lucky little lady!

it's starting to feel a little spooky around here.

Life is busy, busy, busy as usual.

We're in the midst of prepping for a big Birthday party (Carson's #2) and a gender reveal party this weekend (for baby #2)!  Much more to come on those festivities...

But, we can't let October pass without some spooky fall crafts.

This project was quick, easy and perfect for a toddler.

All you need are:

• a few styrofoam balls of any size
• a paint pen (I used black and Carson chose red and yellow)
• small eye hooks 
• cheese cloth (we found it at the 99 cent store!).

Just draw eyes with your paint pen
(and if you're 2 and that's not enough, add whatever else you'd like).

 Then cover with cheese cloth (we used two layers per ghost) and screw in the eye hook.

 Now we've got a whole lineup of ghosts in our front room!

 And a few more watching over the front porch.

Carson even has a very special "Trojan triceratops ghost" watching over his bedroom (he's proving to be a very dedicated USC fan despite the rocky football season).

Happy Haunting!