tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29652733146653275552024-03-14T03:06:33.190-07:00green loves yellowJennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-55906355778541870482011-07-29T15:02:00.000-07:002011-07-29T15:02:43.944-07:00Road Trip Days 3 & 4: Utah and WyomingI haven't posted many more pictures of our road trip lately, mostly because all the photos are on Adam's hard drives, which he uses pretty much every day for the video projects he is working on. It is WONDERFUL that he has so much work right now because he won't be able to work very much while he is student teaching this fall and winter. But that's my excuse for not documenting our trip for the past few weeks :)<br />
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I wasn't expecting much from Utah; I thought it would be dry and flat, but it was anything but that! In fact, when we drove out of Arizona (that was the drive that somehow I thought would take two hours, but when we were leaving the Grand Canyon and I plugged the address of our cabin in southern Utah into the GPS, it pulled up a whopping <i>five and a half hours</i>, and that it really how much time it took, so needless to say, we arrived in southern Utah very late), it was pitch dark by the time we were actually driving through Utah to our cabin for the night, and when we woke up in the morning and it was light out, we saw there was snow all around!<br />
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There was so much snow that we experienced a minor change of plans about five miles down the road:<br />
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That's where our map told us to go, and there was not even enough cell service for the GPS to pull up an alternate route for us, so we just decided to wing it and keep driving down the only available road! We did arrive safely, and there was some beautiful scenery along the way!<br />
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We made it to northern Utah where we met Aaron and Amy (Aaron is Adam's brother). They had been having a much-needed vacation there for about a week, and we did the rest of our trip with them. 4,000 miles with four people in a five-person car! (And there were no arguments, disagreements, or irritable moments the entire trip!).<br />
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We drove/hiked to the top of a mountain:<br />
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(You can't tell, but it was really cold up there-- in June!)<br />
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The next day, we drove through Wyoming. <br />
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I can't say much about Wyoming. There wasn't much to see. It was brown, flat, and it seemed never-ending.<br />
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The bright spot of Wyoming was the tiny town we stayed in-- Hulett, population 500. The very best part was that we happened to be there on the day of their 72nd annual rodeo and parade. Sadly, we didn't get to see the rodeo, but the parade was ultimate small-town goodness. The whole town was either in the parade or watching the parade.<br />
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After the parade, we had some tasty home-cookin from a diner on main street.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupyYnzczGhM8QlVnssnOt9PrFU78s1mJJZxoADKhpvYancjVBag__W_vjXdfgaSHzRI6YvSmBF7Aui4BvoUMaxG6CRpDTMlE8yFFi8JrcBapwXIIj4uvgTDQM098VzK1C5heU8YnYvPTE/s1600/diner+in+hulett" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupyYnzczGhM8QlVnssnOt9PrFU78s1mJJZxoADKhpvYancjVBag__W_vjXdfgaSHzRI6YvSmBF7Aui4BvoUMaxG6CRpDTMlE8yFFi8JrcBapwXIIj4uvgTDQM098VzK1C5heU8YnYvPTE/s640/diner+in+hulett" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tuco-Topo-Photography/130509473635363">by Amy</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTP4VO-zMxC9Hmgujc23ql0S44_9_ZwS-nZ8rGJizmQaEmty0JmJrxCMoad46UbAttYiIxxiUsa8lcwR7BTAr_-2WgzLERF_ERZBP52sEz99slE_-wtDuM1cFjy4oKEarJHvuj5pjDVTsl/s1600/hulett+breakfast" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTP4VO-zMxC9Hmgujc23ql0S44_9_ZwS-nZ8rGJizmQaEmty0JmJrxCMoad46UbAttYiIxxiUsa8lcwR7BTAr_-2WgzLERF_ERZBP52sEz99slE_-wtDuM1cFjy4oKEarJHvuj5pjDVTsl/s640/hulett+breakfast" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tuco-Topo-Photography/130509473635363">by Amy</a></td></tr>
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After breakfast we headed over to Devil's Tower, just about twenty minutes out of town.<br />
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We saw a huge snake. It was probably five feet long. I thought it was cool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqz_tjcxpvgdU4ix1z5FkJBAKt1t-0DXYhy-n04Gk6vafUdj1-DV9oFdIf5sZ1a85sdkLWXwWOUArhwCcDOcU33M7j_Pp_Z-uFUbD-uyy5fvM31_0M-fEd2ano1dLLn-QFmTAvVfaWqf-Q/s1600/in+front+of+devils+tower" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqz_tjcxpvgdU4ix1z5FkJBAKt1t-0DXYhy-n04Gk6vafUdj1-DV9oFdIf5sZ1a85sdkLWXwWOUArhwCcDOcU33M7j_Pp_Z-uFUbD-uyy5fvM31_0M-fEd2ano1dLLn-QFmTAvVfaWqf-Q/s640/in+front+of+devils+tower" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tuco-Topo-Photography/130509473635363">by Amy</a></td></tr>
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And from there, we drove east into South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore. A post for another day!<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-40257080670917285832011-07-23T20:36:00.000-07:002012-02-27T13:20:49.153-08:00Lazy days...I've been pretty lazy about blogging lately. I guess I just haven't felt very inspired these past few weeks.<br />
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I am feeling much more pregnant lately. My belly isn't really that huge (compared to what most pregnant ladies look like about now) but I'm starting to feel like there's not much room left inside me.<br />
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My students kept asking me towards the end of the school year, "Do you hope it's a girl or a boy?" and at the time, I really didn't know! I told them that I was glad that God is the one who decides for me, or else I'd never be able to choose. And that's the truth!<br />
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But now I am so happy to have a little girl on the way. Before we knew what she was, I had to stop myself from thinking of all the cute outfits I could make for a little girl, just in case it was a boy. Now, it feels kind of surreal that we're actually having a baby, and that I <i>can</i> think about cute outfits to make, so I almost have to remind myself that this is really happening!<br />
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She's going to be about six months old when it starts getting warm for the summer next year, which is the <i>perfect</i> age for sweet little blouses and bloomers. I want to buy some vintage bed sheets to make outfits for her, like these ones.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.229779863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.229779863.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70668703/pair-vintage-1970s-floral-pillowcases">From Red Hen Studio</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.245295769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.245295769.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74390992/fun-flowers-standard-pillowcase">From Just Smashing Darling</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.252477681.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76414184/summer-poppies-in-yellow-orange-white?ref=sr_gallery_19&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=vintage+bed+sheet+-fat&ga_page=10&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">From Vital Vintage</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.253830545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.253830545.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76813445/vintage-flower-power-cotton-sheet-in?ref=sr_gallery_4&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=vintage+bed+sheet+-fat&ga_page=9&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">From Aestheticara</a></td></tr>
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And while she's a tiny baby in the middle of winter, I'll have fun dressing up little onesies, like this link my sister shared with me:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw11rdZV4dQL03cOrTaKSrlAtlLZqwpkidycLIR1JZI_jrrUuxkqjSAVxtBzqZzdQZBwWxs9hUgsbf27GKX5cqOFneKe_4Tht3I9cuSc5ASzeCLJ05GbtGapp4jMympPoRbrsFs2c6s5j/s400/IMG_1470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw11rdZV4dQL03cOrTaKSrlAtlLZqwpkidycLIR1JZI_jrrUuxkqjSAVxtBzqZzdQZBwWxs9hUgsbf27GKX5cqOFneKe_4Tht3I9cuSc5ASzeCLJ05GbtGapp4jMympPoRbrsFs2c6s5j/s320/IMG_1470.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://greylustergirl.blogspot.com/2011/05/yet-another-baby-girl-gift.html">From Grey Luster Girl</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But like I said, it's still kind of surreal that we have a baby on the way. I'm sure I'll get hit with the "nesting" urge in a month or so from now and want to sit at my sewing machine all day, but for now, it hasn't happened yet.<br />
<br />
Have any cute baby projects? Send them my way! <br />
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<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">♥</span></h6>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-4303703411478014632011-07-11T13:48:00.000-07:002011-07-11T13:48:34.443-07:00Twelve Pounds of BlueberriesThis week we're in South Carolina with my sister-in-law Amy's family. It's hot and humid here! It kinda feels like I'm in southeast Asia when we step outside, but luckily we're a five minute walk from the beach, so there's a breeze that keeps it from feeling <i>quite</i> so hot. And apparently the weather allows the spiders here to grow huge! I saw one today that was easily three inches across and four inches top to bottom. But they're perfectly happy to stay outside in their giant webs, which makes me happy too.<br />
<br />
Last week, though, was the first week of blueberry picking season, and Adam, Cynthia (Adam's mom) and I went picking. We ended up with twelve pounds of berries! When I was growing up, my family went berry picking every summer, and twelve pounds would have disappeared in a couple of days, but there's only three of us, so that's quite a few berries to get rid of.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigolUOvJOdjuTs-ZIuLVlgtk6EDuUu3BmDVaVkXFrSnxqLeWMDq2RX7vlHOIz5qnBUQW6b_WuD5HMeOfyBJ67MH3w7TGFEFTZd_c4nnKy27kcHBrdyQG4e8jbrggpkey_vRJrvR8-9yxgt/s1600/IMAG0271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigolUOvJOdjuTs-ZIuLVlgtk6EDuUu3BmDVaVkXFrSnxqLeWMDq2RX7vlHOIz5qnBUQW6b_WuD5HMeOfyBJ67MH3w7TGFEFTZd_c4nnKy27kcHBrdyQG4e8jbrggpkey_vRJrvR8-9yxgt/s400/IMAG0271.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5IrtyQXy7mgREOUNa0giGTiIRoH6Y9Qv3m75NH5OSjwJpGw2jgI7XsjG0Woy1nOk_UlRJFktMdMQEJKmpAqt8HR7PMd2Ez8q5wwVuEfKDrcm2mqT8CHgL9Jz25icZmI1HKbMLso1DzNU8/s1600/IMAG0274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5IrtyQXy7mgREOUNa0giGTiIRoH6Y9Qv3m75NH5OSjwJpGw2jgI7XsjG0Woy1nOk_UlRJFktMdMQEJKmpAqt8HR7PMd2Ez8q5wwVuEfKDrcm2mqT8CHgL9Jz25icZmI1HKbMLso1DzNU8/s320/IMAG0274.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
We ate some of the berries; we gave away some of the berries to friends; we made blueberry muffins for a church potluck (my first midwestern church potluck-- I secretly love jello salads!), and I made a giant blueberry cobbler for fourth of July. Both of the recipes were super yummy.<br />
<br />
First, <u><b>Blueberry Muffins</b></u><b>:</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdt_d8zCN9Miqro-zDHG2d2EyXuFC7sXFbLgo7DVMO-rCZrW-zZ3jDN_4b8b2gYUA-17Wp0nJQ_1m54mi-UD8Um_KkViAkOkNYFNQf3mGnGn06H0wYPIFP8jQ7GOiZA9PMWVAaDKG2NFJ/s1600/S1110015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdt_d8zCN9Miqro-zDHG2d2EyXuFC7sXFbLgo7DVMO-rCZrW-zZ3jDN_4b8b2gYUA-17Wp0nJQ_1m54mi-UD8Um_KkViAkOkNYFNQf3mGnGn06H0wYPIFP8jQ7GOiZA9PMWVAaDKG2NFJ/s400/S1110015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
(We did mini muffins)<br />
<b> </b><br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
<ul><li>2 cups flour</li>
<li>2 1/2 tsp. baking powder</li>
<li>1 c. sugar (if your blueberries are on the tart side) or 2/3 c. sugar (if your blueberries are on the sweeter side)</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. salt</li>
<li>1/2 c. chilled butter</li>
<li>2 eggs </li>
<li>3/4 c. milk</li>
<li>1 tsp. orange zest</li>
<li>2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries (If you are using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them. You don't want them to get juicy and turn the batter a purplish-blue color!)</li>
</ul><u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<ol><li> Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease muffin tins.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, two knives (which has never worked for me), or your hands (this always works for me!) cut the butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form. </li>
<li>In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the milk/egg mixture into the well all at once. Stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients, and then gently fold in the blueberries and orange zest. The batter will be more like sticky dough, not runny like muffin batter often is. </li>
<li>Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. If you're making regular-sized muffins, bake 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick stuck into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. If you're making mini-muffins, 10-12 minutes should do it. Keep an eye on them after about 7 minutes have passed, because they bake very quickly. </li>
<li>Remove the muffins from the muffin pan and cool them on a wire rack. Or, remove the muffins from the muffin pan, and eat them right away. YUM! You don't even need any butter. </li>
</ol><br />
Recipe #2: <u><b>Blueberry Cobbler</b></u><b>:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpuLs6T7ZwQpaQjXTe0fjQ5bWgnKqpLVqi2XT6Anvw9TTiEI9OS4fXjB810lllvTKPhyPiDuqBzv2u-c8SYir5iS-VoUCYY0T9_8l-pt0NrUHk8VDTykf4n9dv_0osFdOJrTS3Vr1zoXu/s1600/S1110009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpuLs6T7ZwQpaQjXTe0fjQ5bWgnKqpLVqi2XT6Anvw9TTiEI9OS4fXjB810lllvTKPhyPiDuqBzv2u-c8SYir5iS-VoUCYY0T9_8l-pt0NrUHk8VDTykf4n9dv_0osFdOJrTS3Vr1zoXu/s400/S1110009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><b> </b> <br />
<b></b>These ingredients and instructions are for a giant, 9x13 pan of cobbler. Just cut the recipe in half and use a smaller square pan, or even a loaf pan for half the amount of cobbler.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
<ul><li>8 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)</li>
<li>1 c. sugar</li>
<li>6 tbsp. cornstarch</li>
<li>3 tbsp. lemon juice</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. cinnamon</li>
<li>1/4 tsp. nutmeg</li>
<li>---------------------------</li>
<li>2 c. flour</li>
<li>1/2 c. sugar </li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp. baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 c. cold butter</li>
<li>3/4 c. milk</li>
</ul><u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<ol><li>Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. </li>
<li>Mix all the blueberry ingredients together in a large bowl; set aside. </li>
<li>Mix dry ingredients for dough mixture together (flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder). Using your hands or a pastry cutter, mix cold butter into flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs. </li>
<li>Mix the milk into the rest of the ingredients just until everything is moistened. It should look more like biscuit dough than runny batter. </li>
<li>Pour berry mix into the bottom of your 9x13 pan. Use a spoon and drop the biscuit dough by spoonfuls on top of the berries until berries are mostly covered and dough is gone. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little extra sugar (just so it looks pretty!).</li>
<li>Bake for 35-40 minutes until the berries are bubbling and the biscuits are golden brown. I think I may have had to bake mine for a little longer, so don't be afraid to do that if you need to. </li>
<li>Let your cobbler cool for awhile, and then serve it with whipped cream. </li>
</ol>The cobbler was SO good, but I'm also very partial to pies and cobblers, much more so than cake, cookies, and brownies. You really could sub in any cobbler fruit for the blueberries. I bet peaches would be really yummy, or maybe a mix of nectarines and raspberries! <br />
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Do you have a favorite summer dessert? Have you been berry picking yet this summer?<br />
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<br />
.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-12996656880013626722011-07-07T21:40:00.000-07:002011-07-07T21:40:24.598-07:0023 WeeksHere we go! Finally! Here's what I look like at 23 weeks pregnant. Supposedly the baby is twelve inches long (head to toe), and I know she's probably in a pretty bunched-up position most of the time, but it seems like my belly should be way bigger if I've got a twelve-inch child living inside me!<br />
<br />
For reference, here's the timeline so far:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9lf86wOVsHSmwPurrij0sEGnoviVkSl2S62tR4m1QhTW8yGZm6CUDAXfKsrlMwySs6PhZyje3FnSY3_Y2_zqw3moYoYMxS9n0l8UJBAEmf4yG7t6HSZnyrItBlCQ2lF9i8wM05Zpo6oN/s1600/IMAG0420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9lf86wOVsHSmwPurrij0sEGnoviVkSl2S62tR4m1QhTW8yGZm6CUDAXfKsrlMwySs6PhZyje3FnSY3_Y2_zqw3moYoYMxS9n0l8UJBAEmf4yG7t6HSZnyrItBlCQ2lF9i8wM05Zpo6oN/s400/IMAG0420.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7 weeks</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwTQgTIHbNkvn0drGbhl79cn6amEYABVAjmHoC1fuNqjJ_WIEw9jmcwFko1sAIvh7KEQv1H_kn5EG_QcfHTmCpWYQ0edP3IXcWeCbsyj_fWk4Wbff65mzqqJphlyfY8PY9i3jXOZhcmda/s1600/IMAG0582-1-1-1+ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwTQgTIHbNkvn0drGbhl79cn6amEYABVAjmHoC1fuNqjJ_WIEw9jmcwFko1sAIvh7KEQv1H_kn5EG_QcfHTmCpWYQ0edP3IXcWeCbsyj_fWk4Wbff65mzqqJphlyfY8PY9i3jXOZhcmda/s320/IMAG0582-1-1-1+ed.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfR5uE8whWquZBtYTi18Z6my3A6QbzCwuAtpS9czUfwPwQhW2EkSXbTAxefMTa-NjgHGgX2pioxbVfHHKikPFzpOKdqw-Qx9tGShIKXeAxYTWLIAJxdZK5zvNLzzRXirDSrcL0ER9GBX0A/s1600/IMAG0754+ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfR5uE8whWquZBtYTi18Z6my3A6QbzCwuAtpS9czUfwPwQhW2EkSXbTAxefMTa-NjgHGgX2pioxbVfHHKikPFzpOKdqw-Qx9tGShIKXeAxYTWLIAJxdZK5zvNLzzRXirDSrcL0ER9GBX0A/s400/IMAG0754+ed.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br />
<br />
And now, here we have...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKoWNZihqRrrKArO_9Hchxcb41VrDxVI9cBE6fVa6GN8ji7wuHWDkp76uzl1JP2AXk3Dr4g6WJSk7KNAGre_-P6HwbJ9D2uoCQJA1VgSr5GPi7T3Thu0ml7ggcL2uJi9DHHj9cUpXlzkl/s1600/blog+pic+23+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKoWNZihqRrrKArO_9Hchxcb41VrDxVI9cBE6fVa6GN8ji7wuHWDkp76uzl1JP2AXk3Dr4g6WJSk7KNAGre_-P6HwbJ9D2uoCQJA1VgSr5GPi7T3Thu0ml7ggcL2uJi9DHHj9cUpXlzkl/s400/blog+pic+23+weeks.jpg" width="327" /></a></div><br />
People ask me all the time, "How are you feeling?" And my answer is, "Great!" And I do seriously feel great. I'm not tired, I can eat everything, my belly isn't very big yet so it doesn't really get in the way of anything, and I can feel our baby girl moving and kicking inside me all the time. I'm so thankful for how God is growing her day after day. It's easy to be doubtful and anxious and wonder all kinds of "What Ifs", but when I stop to think about what is true-- that God is in control of her development, and I can do nothing about it, and that God will always give us what is best for us-- my wrong thinking turns into thankfulness and amazement over this child that he is growing inside of me right now. <br />
<br />
And on a practical note, leggings and tights are the most wonderful things in the world!! I am so thankful that maternity leggings exist, and I would live in them every day if I could!<br />
<br />
.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-3480787004321825522011-07-05T21:40:00.000-07:002011-07-07T21:58:53.571-07:004th of July CakeI saw this cake recipe in my latest issue of Taste of Home, and I decided to try it out for 4th of July.<br />
<br />
It's a crepe cake, so you make the layers in a pan, just like a crepe or a pancake. It took probably just about as much <i>time</i> to make as a regular cake, but it definitely took more <i>effort</i> because you have to man frying pan the whole time, instead of just pouring the batter into a cake pan and sticking it in the oven. It was fun, though, and I'm glad I tried it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15zn3CAMsrQ01ffBgwFsnuNpj8FViTmuBF-F_p7q_-jFTH5CijaSP9bWjeO6h_zmahI0Lx0Djtg0nxRD-ShfD1EV2W5qr8pTKyc76-87lTaXYiIqe9ZfFZZ4cNMy96xTyNc6rE45VGChE/s1600/_MG_7006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15zn3CAMsrQ01ffBgwFsnuNpj8FViTmuBF-F_p7q_-jFTH5CijaSP9bWjeO6h_zmahI0Lx0Djtg0nxRD-ShfD1EV2W5qr8pTKyc76-87lTaXYiIqe9ZfFZZ4cNMy96xTyNc6rE45VGChE/s400/_MG_7006.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><br />
Here's the recipe. It is supposed to make enough crepes and frosting for two small cakes, but I used a bit more batter for each crepe so I would have one cake that was a bit larger, and I ended up having extra batter left over, but that was fine since it allowed for mess-ups. I also added in a modification that I would do next time, which is adding a bit of extra baking powder. The layers I made turned out flatter than the original picture of the cake in the magazine, so I think a bit of extra baking powder would do the trick to make them fluffier. <br />
<br />
<u>Cake ingredients</u>:<br />
<span class="recipeDetails"><span class="ingredient"><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">1 package </span><span class="name">(18-1/4 ounces) red velvet cake mix</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">2-3/4 cups </span><span class="name">whole milk</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">1 cup </span><span class="name">all-purpose flour</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="name">1/2 tsp. baking powder </span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount"></span><span class="name">3 eggs</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount"></span><span class="name">3 egg yolks</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">1/4 cup </span><span class="name">butter, melted</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">3 teaspoons </span><span class="name">vanilla extract</span></li><br />
</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Frosting ingredients:</u><br />
<span class="ingredient"><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="name">12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">1 cup </span><span class="name">butter, softened</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">1/2 teaspoon </span><span class="name">salt</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">8 cups </span><span class="name">confectioners' sugar</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount">3 teaspoons </span><span class="name">vanilla extract</span></li><br />
<li class="ingredient"><span class="amount"></span><span class="name">Fresh blueberries </span></li><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Directions:</u> <br />
1. <span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, milk, flour, eggs, egg yolks, butter and vanilla; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">2. </span></span><span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">Heat a lightly greased 10-in. nonstick skillet over medium heat; pour 1/4 cup batter (or 1/3 cup, if you want one bigger cake instead of two smaller cakes) into center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 10-15 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">3. </span></span><span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and salt until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">4. </span></span><span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">To assemble two crepe cakes, place one crepe on each of two cake plates. Spread each with one rounded tablespoon frosting to within 1/2 in. of edges. Repeat layers until all crepes are used. Spread remaining frosting over tops and sides of crepe cakes. (Or do this process for just one cake). Garnish with blueberries.</span></span><span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">If you're up for a fun variation on the traditional cake recipe, try this one out. And as always, if you do try it, let me know what you think!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">Recipe credit: <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/">Taste of Home</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions"> </span></span><span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions">.</span></span><span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions"> </span></span><span class="recipeDetails"><span class="instructions"> </span></span>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-83795830895838087312011-06-30T20:10:00.000-07:002011-06-30T20:10:51.220-07:00Road Trip Day 2: The Grand CanyonBefore our trip I had never been to the Grand Canyon (well, I had never been anywhere in the country besides the west coast, Ohio, and South Carolina... and Chicago-- when I was only seven years old!) so it was pretty cool to see it for myself in real life. I had heard other people say it looks like a painting when you're there standing in front of it, and I have to agree with them-- it really does.<br />
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There were so many pretty wildflowers blooming all along the ridge trail of the canyon! I think I made Adam take more photos of the flowers than of the canyon itself.<br />
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Now it's time for you to meet the Japanese Good Luck Cat. The week before our trip, Adam hung out with his good friend Patrick for the last time before we moved, and they hung out on the set of a kids' TV show that Patrick is in. On that particular day, the episode being filmed was about Chinese New Year, and some of the props were these Japanese good luck cats. After the filming was finished, Patrick snagged one of the cats and gave it to Adam before we left, and Adam brought the cat along on the road trip, taking pictures of it in front of every national monument, and in each new state we visited.<br />
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Here's an example:<br />
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You've seen those kind of cats before, right? Well this cat has now seen the entire country. Ha!<br />
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Our drive out of the Grand Canyon was probably my favorite drive of the whole trip. The scenery was amazing! Our goal was to had north into Utah, but there are no bridges over the Grand Canyon, so that meant we had to drive east first, along the entire remaining length of the canyon. The canyon was beautiful, but the red cliffs on the other side of the road were equally amazing. I think we enjoyed the drive so much because we weren't expecting anything spectacular, so driving through miles and miles and miles of road with the Grand Canyon on one side and giant red cliffs on the other was a nice surprise! I think most of the land was Indian reservation land, because the only signs of civilization were trailers or tiny six-sided house every couple of miles.<br />
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We made it to southern Utah a whoooole lot later than we thought we would (for some reason, I was under the impression that our drive out of the Grand Canyon would be a two-hour drive, but, well... it was a five-hour drive. Whoops.) but we made it-- in the dark and on windy roads-- and had a cute little log cabin all to ourselves.<br />
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Tomorrow: Road Trip Day 3: I never knew how pretty Utah is!<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-8482596882800362332011-06-29T20:34:00.000-07:002011-06-30T09:52:01.288-07:00Road Trip Day 1: Mojave Desert & ArizonaRoad trip pictures! (Baby belly picture coming soon, I promise).<br />
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I have never driven farther east in California than Palm Springs, and as a fourth grade teacher in California, we study "the four regions of California", (one of which is the desert region-- mainly the Mojave desert), so, call me nerdy, but I was really excited to drive through the desert!<br />
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The land was empty for miles, except for train tracks, and some occasional rock formations.<br />
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I was determined to see a real desert sand dune, so we took a detour off the main highway into the desert, and off in the distance I could see some dunes. We took the worst, bumpiest gravel road you can imagine to get to (or we thought we were getting to) the sand dunes, but the road ended still a good mile or two away from them. We walked down the trail a little ways that led to the dunes, but it was about 96 degrees out so we didn't go far. On our way back to the car, we happened upon two hikers from Germany who took our picture for us.<br />
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The one thing that was more noticeable than the heat, though, was the silence. The Mojave desert is the quietest place I have ever been. The only sound was the wind blowing through the scrubby bushes-- no cars, no city noises, no distant freeway, no planes flying over, no animals rustling, no insect noises, no one speaking-- nothing. It was pretty incredible.<br />
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Some of the plants were cool:<br />
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...or maybe I'm the only one who thought they were cool. I have a thing for cacti and succulents, but they never stay alive for me.<br />
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From the Mojave desert we drove on to Williams, Arizona (about half an hour south of the Grand Canyon) where we had the most disappointing food of our entire trip. Sorry, Pine Country Cafe (who boasts of good home cookin'), we will not be back any time soon. Adam's steak was quite flavorless and my salad came with a tear-open packet of Kraft raspberry vinaigrette.<br />
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Our hotel, however, was the most unusual stay of the whole trip. We slept in a vintage railroad car!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2346su_P-RP5aNBx9FFgiMCaxPLPAx3DsEqBoZUoOD_oaud8SGVk3OGu0a1T4CfbDz2aQ0o8tG70pCXt2dIju96xvf5kuyhp8kdcUKUEON67iJ1Zp4QsrxevG9ReBjiEOQ1_bXoGZvTa1/s1600/Grand+Canyon+Motel+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2346su_P-RP5aNBx9FFgiMCaxPLPAx3DsEqBoZUoOD_oaud8SGVk3OGu0a1T4CfbDz2aQ0o8tG70pCXt2dIju96xvf5kuyhp8kdcUKUEON67iJ1Zp4QsrxevG9ReBjiEOQ1_bXoGZvTa1/s640/Grand+Canyon+Motel+2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Our room was one-third of that green rail car. It was so tiny inside that we couldn't even get a photo of the room! The caboose you see there is also available for rent. It has a queen bed and at least two bunk beds!<br />
<br />
Thus ends Cross-Country Road Trip Day 1.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow: Grand Canyon!<br />
<br />
<br />
.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-81047025313505444962011-06-24T18:52:00.000-07:002011-06-24T18:52:48.864-07:00We made it!4,800 miles and 14 states later, we have arrived in Ohio!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRV77eIqQGg4SzQqzeMycB7YrvNmShryYWJUpgHI0KBaK0nvC6WOsGKGaRjo_xl3oEU4XvH4dZk4UxsqYXD1wjrEJ988idHNbnikdA1c8CIiLPNKilE9_Fe55UYGrsTU2glnD9bkSRJLB/s1600/arrived+in+ohio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRV77eIqQGg4SzQqzeMycB7YrvNmShryYWJUpgHI0KBaK0nvC6WOsGKGaRjo_xl3oEU4XvH4dZk4UxsqYXD1wjrEJ988idHNbnikdA1c8CIiLPNKilE9_Fe55UYGrsTU2glnD9bkSRJLB/s400/arrived+in+ohio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
We got here on Tuesday, but it's been kind of a busy few days. All that stuff you see in our moving pod is now in stacks and piles in the basement of Adam's mom's house, where we're staying for the summer.<br />
<br />
I can't wait to post pictures of our road trip! It may be a few days, but stay tuned!<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-47596987740218922892011-06-01T12:30:00.000-07:002011-06-01T12:31:02.451-07:00Baby Girl!I haven't blogged much lately, mostly because life is a little crazy right now. For example, here's one corner of our living room:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAKBRDGgF0aXiiUX4fBchMu08zrBb1f0QwpbagSiqNCQBYAbGllsvKoKMD0apcp4ZodYqkjJO_isk8bky-pjsH8mgi-B-EVndEoLQhBUrZoa5p99fGnDd74q2FjzF23WE4b-Y2MmqBgNs/s1600/Living+Room+Boxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAKBRDGgF0aXiiUX4fBchMu08zrBb1f0QwpbagSiqNCQBYAbGllsvKoKMD0apcp4ZodYqkjJO_isk8bky-pjsH8mgi-B-EVndEoLQhBUrZoa5p99fGnDd74q2FjzF23WE4b-Y2MmqBgNs/s400/Living+Room+Boxes.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're moving in five days! Five! It's coming up so fast, and school is out on Friday. Wooo!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But what I really wanted to show you are the pictures of our baby girl that were taken at our ultrasound appointment today!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaZlH2lR05GBDbiG9Tg1D1C8UWcW878dqYPJNebGnbQyRAKpbuRleJwkr-W9W_905vYHCNVmTfHWyn9aDf3_RHGgrBb5nXw8MALvCXqeNIoVEFrB3p6aqFc4CBLjGlFAyPgTIr4oXX0TJ/s1600/baby+girl+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaZlH2lR05GBDbiG9Tg1D1C8UWcW878dqYPJNebGnbQyRAKpbuRleJwkr-W9W_905vYHCNVmTfHWyn9aDf3_RHGgrBb5nXw8MALvCXqeNIoVEFrB3p6aqFc4CBLjGlFAyPgTIr4oXX0TJ/s320/baby+girl+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42etIPC6KDoNpJYq87N4ke48JDTMmahcXcT-8yXl85PQ_ECB2o6yc79FQnuHvLYnSYgjTejACaAfxDWNBgs78W3cafb2fdS4qgA5BcMfbceLocPx11NlLR4RJsBm_s_oBIZK5yUaOlwec/s1600/Baby+girl+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42etIPC6KDoNpJYq87N4ke48JDTMmahcXcT-8yXl85PQ_ECB2o6yc79FQnuHvLYnSYgjTejACaAfxDWNBgs78W3cafb2fdS4qgA5BcMfbceLocPx11NlLR4RJsBm_s_oBIZK5yUaOlwec/s320/Baby+girl+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCMYblXlyYzUUSnMr6U0t0KLt5H9nn2yIEybvk_KyBWEYfNDreZyMfySPX-JgSs_mxCciVs2nPQXi7CwLjNnNzNW6ebY5oEMWUCi1Ium3BQgxXpFVUkw0-kdzFr-CTpuYZfnW1iDYjNNZ/s1600/baby+girl+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCMYblXlyYzUUSnMr6U0t0KLt5H9nn2yIEybvk_KyBWEYfNDreZyMfySPX-JgSs_mxCciVs2nPQXi7CwLjNnNzNW6ebY5oEMWUCi1Ium3BQgxXpFVUkw0-kdzFr-CTpuYZfnW1iDYjNNZ/s320/baby+girl+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfuXtGdY9ZB54tfHUeqNUetWd1P8tGyF16uMtxpdHG1E9-qhyphenhyphenYw5gAsMBVZ5H4Qtc1DYCFYdL-LqMLZme7nfTZL-iOD5bz4hn0wIacasBV5x96xnpppFm0sCSzUixSs0mHTN5xqokunyy/s1600/baby+girl+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfuXtGdY9ZB54tfHUeqNUetWd1P8tGyF16uMtxpdHG1E9-qhyphenhyphenYw5gAsMBVZ5H4Qtc1DYCFYdL-LqMLZme7nfTZL-iOD5bz4hn0wIacasBV5x96xnpppFm0sCSzUixSs0mHTN5xqokunyy/s320/baby+girl+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There she is at 19 weeks, or technically, 18 1/2. I can feel her kicking all the time now, and Adam even felt one big kick last night with his hand on my belly! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">People have some favorite things they like to tell me, though. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"You totally don't look pregnant at all!!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"You're how far along? You don't even look pregnant!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I was bigger than you when I was 6 weeks!" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"You're pregnant? I can't even tell!" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I suppose those are good things to hear, but I do hear them several times every day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a little timeline for you. (As you can see, we got a little more creative at 13 weeks).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5nPnnjzWqozXCSo9PF6UI1_GHZ1mIf9QPrekZGBDOFX1opZ50ZUXO1L78K01ed0y_tqTxTvvPBH8Lw5c4uugZj0DSf71dvKqDnzgp3aDzwXgH79v4t_JYRPE6_YXRsHLbL1uvjrhR2bS/s1600/IMAG0420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5nPnnjzWqozXCSo9PF6UI1_GHZ1mIf9QPrekZGBDOFX1opZ50ZUXO1L78K01ed0y_tqTxTvvPBH8Lw5c4uugZj0DSf71dvKqDnzgp3aDzwXgH79v4t_JYRPE6_YXRsHLbL1uvjrhR2bS/s400/IMAG0420.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seven weeks</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnH2BTmrs8E6UEBMWo_BZSSr6NMl62ZogdxLMiTxDWMQixnzZkoqpv439wrU64h04wSEy8DJtq9BpPqdZWVv74H7olVbgImmc1D847N4wUCFM4xa8wWT90jGXYe6l2-qrvslqUVJcoUFj/s1600/IMAG0582-1-1-1+ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnH2BTmrs8E6UEBMWo_BZSSr6NMl62ZogdxLMiTxDWMQixnzZkoqpv439wrU64h04wSEy8DJtq9BpPqdZWVv74H7olVbgImmc1D847N4wUCFM4xa8wWT90jGXYe6l2-qrvslqUVJcoUFj/s320/IMAG0582-1-1-1+ed.jpg" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thirteen weeks... a tiny tiny bump?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ITHoy1qjDU145-zsJEO39syP_ZBorrSHaqKMqROiGx9k38kBDoDMRqNAeZw6r3y2OcWx3_3vNpuRDDQArPg7HlFnJqEjIQU6GIjLovOA-fjRab8t5qvcvZHEYWWLOl2uHMsMPp1a_EpW/s1600/IMAG0754+ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ITHoy1qjDU145-zsJEO39syP_ZBorrSHaqKMqROiGx9k38kBDoDMRqNAeZw6r3y2OcWx3_3vNpuRDDQArPg7HlFnJqEjIQU6GIjLovOA-fjRab8t5qvcvZHEYWWLOl2uHMsMPp1a_EpW/s400/IMAG0754+ed.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seventeen weeks... People still can't tell, but I sure can!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mayyyybe we'll snap one more shot before we leave town, but the way things are going, the next picture will probably be at the end of June, when we arrive in Cincinnati. By then, there should be some big changes! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our move consists of a two-week road trip across the country with Adam's brother Aaron and our sister-in-law <a href="http://withlittlesound.blogspot.com/">Amy</a>. They're in the mountains of Utah right now, and we're going to meet up with them next week, after we stop at the Grand Canyon! Then we'll head east, making stops at places like <a href="http://www.nps.gov/deto/faqs.htm">Devil's Tower</a>, Mount Rushmore, our good friends <a href="http://the-sewing-room.blogspot.com/">Julie </a>and Spencer in Omaha, the <a href="http://www.mungermoss.com/">Munger Moss Motel</a>, and New Orleans. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Life is going to change a lot in the next five months!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.</div><br />
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</div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-80092777967676489852011-04-25T17:08:00.000-07:002011-04-25T17:08:00.102-07:00Home Is Wherever I'm with YouI like this song very much!<br />
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Have you heard it? What do you think?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4306i99LMXo" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-42212480164338785602011-04-22T10:40:00.000-07:002011-04-22T10:40:00.166-07:00Pretty for Spring<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.236408744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.236408744.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72262435/maru-buttons-fun-necklace-l3-11">Maru Buttons</a>: I really really really like this necklace!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.233868041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.233868041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71649035/ami-rope-smile-necklace-b-purple-mix">Ami Rope Smile Necklace</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.194527251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.194527251.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62314042/kuru-maru-felt-ball-necklace-s-size">Karu Maru Felt Ball Necklace</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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All of these are from Japanese seller <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Homako">Homako</a>. <br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-47417504454009682682011-04-21T14:30:00.000-07:002011-04-21T14:30:00.359-07:00Danger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5P8I_W9cPlHq2n3ttNoo5ZoQVASywl8tlsmQDq3gxKst9EvsydBLJ1DCbyBxpOjopozGEZmLRhr2quvCN8wOhM8wTrXm9Uyd1_5T1Bi_9ZgGeww_dKehsaGP0Vs7C8tgY5z8BJH9Rb4yF/s1600/Extreme+maximum+moose+tracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5P8I_W9cPlHq2n3ttNoo5ZoQVASywl8tlsmQDq3gxKst9EvsydBLJ1DCbyBxpOjopozGEZmLRhr2quvCN8wOhM8wTrXm9Uyd1_5T1Bi_9ZgGeww_dKehsaGP0Vs7C8tgY5z8BJH9Rb4yF/s400/Extreme+maximum+moose+tracks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is dangerous stuff to keep in the freezer.<br />
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It's sooooo good.<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-55290129603988094772011-04-20T20:42:00.000-07:002011-04-20T20:42:19.478-07:00Elizabethan EveningI'm going to use my sewing skills in a way I never thought they would be used before!<br />
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I'm going to create a Renaissance outfit. Ha! I know, it sounds so nerdy. It kind of is though! It's actually for a school event-- in a week-and-a-half or so, my school's annual "Festival of the Arts" is happening, and this year, it's something completely different (in the past it's been more like an art show)-- it's an "Elizabethan Evening". Think Shakespeare and stuff like that.<br />
<br />
The elementary classrooms are each going to run a booth in the "peasant marketplace", and the junior highers are going to perform Shakespeare one-acts and monologues and that sort of thing. Fourth grade is doing a wool booth. You might be wondering what in the world we will sell at a wool booth, and my answer is FELT! Felt is made from wool, right? (Except we're using eco-felt... not really wool, I know, but... it was the most budget-friendly plan). I taught my fourth graders how to use a needle and thread, how to tie a knot at the end of the thread (that was the most challenging part for most of them), how to sew two basic types of stitches, how to keep your thread from unraveling when you're done sewing, and how to sew on a button. I was so proud of them for sticking to it until they got it! It was the quietest classroom you've ever heard for two hours straight. Even the boys (who weren't very excited about the project in the first place) were into it. Once we're done with all the items, I'll post a picture of everything they've made. Our goal is 75-100 items!<br />
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But back to the Renaissance peasant outfit. We have to be in costume for this Elizabethan Evening, so I went thrift store hunting for some clothing items that had potential, and I think I found a workable ensemble.<br />
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First of all, here's an image of a basic peasant outfit:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://istore.mikrotec.com/philc/prodimages/elizabethan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://istore.mikrotec.com/philc/prodimages/elizabethan2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://istore.mikrotec.com/philc/index1.html?page=catalog&category=a&vid=1094129088&pid=792570634&oldvid=2143420604">image credit</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Here is what I picked up at the thrift store:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGn7f6wSIurlC_Wprv9fb-Fggao7H4I4V27y7PFiCXEKkQgzXX3iGma8vdrMGNy7P3x4QqtylGjZHNDekpRTaOn3Uc8BsjhgGswLCqpIKYWQe-6jzFQLhuc7Mki39PnqVLlE2GRbgclzW7/s1600/IMAG0567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGn7f6wSIurlC_Wprv9fb-Fggao7H4I4V27y7PFiCXEKkQgzXX3iGma8vdrMGNy7P3x4QqtylGjZHNDekpRTaOn3Uc8BsjhgGswLCqpIKYWQe-6jzFQLhuc7Mki39PnqVLlE2GRbgclzW7/s200/IMAG0567.jpg" width="151" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGhamPDS_yIsoPM2c-CghoIZBavKjj4wjzHfcKCosdZo_GP0KPDQ_XHs7xSrmtJecNaHo-Yai9ZTYf4gJLfWGbXK8oW9MKbWruQYwMOor9kncftVs1FwG4G5RsBOsX27F69-M1K2gIaUH/s1600/IMAG0568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGhamPDS_yIsoPM2c-CghoIZBavKjj4wjzHfcKCosdZo_GP0KPDQ_XHs7xSrmtJecNaHo-Yai9ZTYf4gJLfWGbXK8oW9MKbWruQYwMOor9kncftVs1FwG4G5RsBOsX27F69-M1K2gIaUH/s200/IMAG0568.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-OWxy7WXeqSVzJO3bTUQN9DRN9n1oqx-hHuya9lRQiva0kpfRdypD5F1M6j-fCthnJSRhzy6e4KrkNXIDzC8VDpHvVCbyVK0GO_9cCAVUw9wCe8cczpCoH73C9jYAMl07sfYcoPHj7H6/s1600/IMAG0566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-OWxy7WXeqSVzJO3bTUQN9DRN9n1oqx-hHuya9lRQiva0kpfRdypD5F1M6j-fCthnJSRhzy6e4KrkNXIDzC8VDpHvVCbyVK0GO_9cCAVUw9wCe8cczpCoH73C9jYAMl07sfYcoPHj7H6/s200/IMAG0566.jpg" width="146" /></a></div><br />
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The skirt is perfect as-is, unless I actually start <i>looking</i> pregnant in the next ten days. The brown top is going to become a vest-like item, and the white shirt is about three sizes too large, which is good because I have more room to work with in modifying it. The collar is coming off, and the sleeves will hopefully be more "billowy" when I'm done. This is definitely my nerdiest project yet!<br />
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<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/sun-thrift-store-sunland">Sun Thrift</a> is one of my favorite thrift stores, and I picked up some more plates for my <a href="http://greenlovesyellow.blogspot.com/2010/09/plate-wall.html">plate wall</a> while I was there!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WRboNeG2wVBG4hOkKDMG46sM-i0gqgrSmef0aRCW5YN7spMM8bvr-GvIh5nHuOhxtTlTK9Ewba0XENgyetAcjPK6qtdjQDs4hGJ4wXi6tcC8YH4ho7y2qikmuQItNTDFOmIsW09B6aMN/s1600/IMAG0570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WRboNeG2wVBG4hOkKDMG46sM-i0gqgrSmef0aRCW5YN7spMM8bvr-GvIh5nHuOhxtTlTK9Ewba0XENgyetAcjPK6qtdjQDs4hGJ4wXi6tcC8YH4ho7y2qikmuQItNTDFOmIsW09B6aMN/s320/IMAG0570.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I can't wait to actually put my plates onto the wall, but not while we're only living in California for less than two more months.<br />
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Last but not least, I mentioned earlier this week that I would post a picture of the baby after my appointment yesterday, but there was no ultrasound. I did get to hear a very cute heartbeat though. I'm so excited to find out if it's a boy or a girl!<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-75831499798023714002011-04-18T10:27:00.000-07:002011-04-18T10:27:50.429-07:00I Love Spring Break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZp-DT5C3hWPLE1mYP6_lbyWhK41kgHh-dQI0DWLBzgjhYvma9ddrHD4py-uwtQ2YO7stYSCC2FIKxhqB6sXWm6SVkkXnDPx80tCnxU0tgwTaNJ-gMqiY07t3jFFpqB7l9ssXGUZAUs4Og/s1600/Ranunculus+in+milk+glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZp-DT5C3hWPLE1mYP6_lbyWhK41kgHh-dQI0DWLBzgjhYvma9ddrHD4py-uwtQ2YO7stYSCC2FIKxhqB6sXWm6SVkkXnDPx80tCnxU0tgwTaNJ-gMqiY07t3jFFpqB7l9ssXGUZAUs4Og/s320/Ranunculus+in+milk+glass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well, specifically I love <b>staying home</b> for spring break!<br />
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It's been over a year (not counting last summer) that we/I have not gone anywhere or done anything during a school break, and I <b>love</b> staying home!<br />
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Projects for this week:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDoCSmg1cDnLgoVchHvVJVUMqGMkLelckdNc7SMXH7wFTHjHSqxP5u093DLnfV_BZU2vcCbxlnD3MWKQEMuxDbJKrWX-TlpGbeVWHajWstwgVFdYYJt_13o8yahSIXKaXgP9IUaThKb5u/s1600/CD+towers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDoCSmg1cDnLgoVchHvVJVUMqGMkLelckdNc7SMXH7wFTHjHSqxP5u093DLnfV_BZU2vcCbxlnD3MWKQEMuxDbJKrWX-TlpGbeVWHajWstwgVFdYYJt_13o8yahSIXKaXgP9IUaThKb5u/s320/CD+towers.jpg" width="90" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The CDs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><ul><li>Go through every cupboard and closet in our apartment and get rid of everything we haven't used in the last year (or haven't used since getting married!) so we have less stuff to take with us on our move to Ohio... which is only seven weeks away!</li>
<li>Attack Adam's collection of CDs. He has agreed to save only a few of the cases (special-edition albums, multi-disc collections, etc.), let me put the rest of the CDs into one carrying-case, and throw away the rest of the plastic cases! Less stuff to pack! (And this means that the shelves aren't coming with us either! Anyone want them?)</li>
<li>Research how to plant and grow a vegetable garden successfully. Adam's mom has a perfect garden plot in her backyard, and since we will be living there at the house for most of the summer, she said I am more than welcome to plant some vegetables out there! However, I've never managed a garden before, so this will take some research. Send your tips and links my way! </li>
<li>Start registering for baby stuff! Ok, I know it seems a little early, but <a href="http://clarissamichele.tumblr.com/">Clarissa</a>, a friend who also happens to be a friend from work, is planning a school baby shower in just a month from now. So you mean I <i>have</i> to register for baby stuff? Ok! No prodding needed! </li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I also get to see my bébé on the ultrasound tomorrow... yay! Last time, he/she just looked like a little blob. I suppose this time I might see something more like a little gummy bear or gingerbread man. :) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Time to go start accomplishing things!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">.</div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-68857771771901939862011-04-17T22:28:00.000-07:002011-04-17T22:29:05.054-07:00Hello again.I haven't posted anything for a really long time because there's been a lot going on-- some good, some sad. And then after everything that's been going on is kind of wrapping itself up... or at least, calming back down to real life, I've not been sure even how to start back up on the blog again.<br />
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If you know me and Adam, you probably generally know about the good and the sad, but I'll tell you anyways, just in case you are one of my friendly readers whom I've never met in real life.<br />
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Adam's dad, Dave, was diagnosed with stage 4 bone and lung cancer back in September. He took the chemotherapy and radiation route for several months, but ultimately those did not help him. The radiation did shrink the cancer that was growing in his hip, though, and provide some relief from the pain long enough for Dave, Cynthia (Adam's mom), and Adam's grandma (whom we all call "Momma") to fly to an alternative clinic across the border in Mexico to try a more natural treatment for the cancer. That treatment was not enough to defeat the cancer either, and Dave passed away on March 22, just a little less than a month ago.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnszgHcVAk4MOVKaPeDCHXvZBlZXC8KY30HcODo8DGp352nSUhx_3SkYf8QybRe5xh5Vpms42JpNfi0bQ13TFWaqzKFHssQOUGSGgdeNuY5G2BasGqzW6PT5DLzznSSxt9B9s7dJZWIi3K/s1600/164347_501497234348_775034348_5904206_3859819_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnszgHcVAk4MOVKaPeDCHXvZBlZXC8KY30HcODo8DGp352nSUhx_3SkYf8QybRe5xh5Vpms42JpNfi0bQ13TFWaqzKFHssQOUGSGgdeNuY5G2BasGqzW6PT5DLzznSSxt9B9s7dJZWIi3K/s320/164347_501497234348_775034348_5904206_3859819_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I love this picture. That's Adam's mom and dad, while they were at the clinic in Mexico.<br />
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Adam wrote something that was read at his dad's memorial service last week, and if this blog will give me enough room, I'm going to post what he wrote at the end of everything else that I have to share with you. Dave was only 52 when he died, and his cancer was discovered only six months before that. It kind of seems like it all happened too fast, and he was too young to be hit so hard by the cancer. I don't really know what I would think about all of that if I didn't believe that God has a purpose behind the suffering that happens here on earth. God is good, and he cares and provides for his children, and right now, Dave is in heaven, 100% free of pain, worshiping Christ who paid the price for Dave (and everyone who believes) to be there in heaven in the first place. I can see that the suffering that God allowed Adam's parents to go through purified their faith, causing them to rely on God more than ever before, and perhaps giving more glory to Him than ever before. And we may not know until eternity how many other people were impacted by Dave's (and Cynthia's) strong testimony of faith, and of joy in looking forward to heaven.<br />
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But that's all I want to say. I want to save room for what my husband wrote about his dad. I hope you'll read it all the way to the end. I'll put it at the end of this post. <br />
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But other things have been happening as well, and happening in God's PERFECT timing! <br />
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We decided back in December that the time had come to start a family, and less than two months later, well, a family had begun!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EMdtSdNqRjezJTuW5-MKteVCacCmms73X905K2SgD2rEwfs7odf9WS3n2CEEaieDEwVqU57rsP1Nq3wdjwSg9SsnjnekAah1Xm3i4-bDs9sb81KenvQjiBkd9TFO_0UI8v2S_28O9Fy6/s1600/IMAG0297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EMdtSdNqRjezJTuW5-MKteVCacCmms73X905K2SgD2rEwfs7odf9WS3n2CEEaieDEwVqU57rsP1Nq3wdjwSg9SsnjnekAah1Xm3i4-bDs9sb81KenvQjiBkd9TFO_0UI8v2S_28O9Fy6/s320/IMAG0297.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I took this picture midway through February, at 5:30 in the morning, after waking Adam up and then texting a picture to my sister-in-law Amy, asking "Does this say what I think it says???" And then of course a week or so later my doctor confirmed that indeed, it is true. And here we are, eight weeks later, and I'm practically ready to go into my second trimester! I get to go back to the doctor this week, and I'm sooo excited to see how much Junior has grown! An app on my phone tells me that she/he is just over two inches long, and that all of his/her organs, nerves, and muscles are in place. Incredible!<br />
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But this child is the second main reason I haven't posted in a while because he/she has been zapping every extra molecule of energy I have in me! Lately though I've been feeling a lot more back to normal, and the question everyone asks is, "Have you been feeling sick?" and I can thankfully say "No!" <br />
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So that's all my news for now.<br />
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I can't wait for summer to be here, and to be done teaching until it's time to start teaching our own kids, and to move on to being a stay-at-home mom.<br />
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Life is about to change!!<br />
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Well, before I go, here is the piece that Adam wrote about it dad. Like I said before, it may look a little long, but I do hope you will read it.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">--------------------------------------------------</div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The first title I knew him by—besides “daddy”—was “Big Fat Daddy from Cincinnati.” When I was three I was sure that my dad was famously recognized by that title. He was one of the biggest, strongest men I knew: At six-foot-four, my dad towered over most other dads; and any furniture you needed moved, he could move it: refrigerators, washers, dryers, dressers, so on and so forth. And on top of that he could fix the car, fix the house, and knew a lot about boats, nature, and history.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Dad had always provided me with a great sense of security; he was one of those firmly established entities in life I looked to for safety. When I was a child, his presence alone was enough to reassure me that I was safe and secure. In thunderstorms, when the thunderclaps were so loud that they rattled the windows and shook the floor, dad was there to tell me that we would be okay. It didn’t even take any words: just seeing him calm and unshakable was enough to calm <i>me</i>. Dad was the person who saw past the trouble, and told us how to get through it in a way that is wise and glorifies God. In all the years I’ve known him, I have seen fear in his face only once.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> But every time I came to visit after dad’s diagnosis, he became increasingly smaller and thinner. His face was thinner. His arms were thinner. His hands became smooth, no longer calloused. When we hugged I could feel his muscles had become softer. His legs—formerly thick and muscled—became bony and saggy. And it wasn’t but a few months till walking across the room was nearly an impossible chore for my once-strong dad. It was as though all the air had been let out of my Big Fat Daddy from Cincinnati. For the first time in my life I was bigger and stronger than my dad—and that terrified me. This unshakable presence in my life was quickly crumbling.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The thought of dad dying frightened me. I wondered: What is my dad feeling? Is he scared to die? If <i>he</i> is scared, how will I then feel when it is time for <i>me</i> to die? If dad is scared to die, how can <i>I</i> face death? I’m only his little boy!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">At hospice two weeks before my dad died, I asked him if he was nervous about dying. He said, “No, not at all.” He said it with the kind of nonchalant confidence of a man who has been asked if he is afraid of thunder. He said, “I am eager to see the Lord.” I cannot explain the comfort his response brought me.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It was as though nothing had happened to my Big Fat Daddy From Cincinnati. I had been shaking at the thunderclap of death, but my dad was calm and unshaken. He showed me what it is to truly hope in the refuge we have in Christ. With his emaciated legs poking through the sheets, his discolored skin, and his body, rattled by pain and cancer for six months, my dad was living what Paul wrote: “When I am week then I am strong,” and God’s “power is made perfect in weakness.” As weak as my dad was physically, God had made him stronger than he'd ever been, chopping wood, working on cars, or moving heavy furniture.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“To live is Christ; to die is gain.” This was the passage that my dad quoted most often throughout his battle with cancer. He is the only man I’ve ever seen truly <i>live</i> that verse. He lived that verse through his actions; his words; his sorrow; his patience; his pain; and his love for the Lord, my mom, his family, and the church. Those who visited him in hospice might have come prepared to encourage a downtrodden man; instead, they left glorifying God and cheered by a man truly at his best.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Death is an ugly, unnatural beast, and our family has seen just how ugly it can be. I will miss my dad until I see him again in heaven. Because of this, the victory Christ accomplished in His death and resurrection has become so much sweeter to me than it’s ever been.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">But I think dad would have been disappointed with me if the only thing I concluded from this is that I had lost a good dad. Nor do I think he would have wanted me to be shaken by his death, as though my refuge and source of support had been lost. Ultimately, God is my rock and my refuge—just as He was, and is, for my dad. The Lord has been with us throughout this entire process; He remains faithful, unchanging, forever. Furthermore, my dad would not have wanted us to view the way he lived in his last five or six months as a testament to what a great guy <i>he</i> was. . . . I believe that this is what my dad would say: His last six months of life showed us what a great God my dad served.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">As painful as this time has been—and still is—I don't question God's purpose in all this. God doesn’t ultimately owe me an explanation or justification for what He has done. Besides, Job, who had it much worse than any of us, asked God for an explanation for his suffering, and he only got a verbal spanking from out of the whirlwind that stretched on for several chapters.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">God is good, and He is righteous. Nothing we experience in this life negates that truth. This death isn’t the end; I will see my dad again. Christ has redeemed us; Christ is our true refuge and strength; we hope in the salvation and sweet resurrection bought with His life and death. That is enough for me.</div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-63834773555959353612011-03-22T17:10:00.000-07:002011-03-22T17:10:00.821-07:00Isabelle Abramson LightingAwhile ago I did a <a href="http://greenlovesyellow.blogspot.com/2010/11/isabelle-abramson.html">post on Isabelle Abramson, the ceramic artist</a>. The bowls she makes are just so beautiful! Well, she has now started doing lighting, and I think that these pieces are equally beautiful.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.212121563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.212121563.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66514981/carved-white-porcelain-pendant-lamp">Carved White Porcelain Pendant Lamp</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.210891959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.210891959.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66573749/set-of-carved-porcelain-pendant-lamps">Set of Carved Porcelain Pendant Lamps</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
(I'll let you find out the prices on your own, and find out why neither of us will be hanging these in our house any time soon!) Nonetheless, I think they are gorgeous!<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-18647319952571985532011-03-19T17:07:00.000-07:002011-03-19T17:07:24.064-07:00Make-It-YourselfI heard about Anthropologie's new wedding line, "<a href="http://www.bhldn.com/index.cfm">BHLDN</a>", so I found the website, and swooned over dresses like <a href="http://www.bhldn.com/the-shop_gowns/sweeping-taffeta-ball-gown">this</a>:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/BHLDN/19944834_011_a?$detail$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/BHLDN/19944834_011_a?$detail$" width="213" /></a></div><br />
And <a href="http://www.bhldn.com/the-shop_gowns/eyelet-medley-sheathe">this</a>:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/BHLDN/19630367_011_a?$detail$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/BHLDN/19630367_011_a?$detail$" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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But my favorite things to look at, either on Anthropologie or BHLDN, are the jewelry. BUT-- it's my favorite because I like to see how much they charge for something I could make for like... one eighth the cost!!<br />
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I came across <a href="http://www.bhldn.com/the-shop_jewelry_rings-pins/foreign-affirmation-ring">this darling little ring</a>:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/BHLDN/20193298_072_a?$zoom$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://s7d1.scene7.com/is/image/BHLDN/20193298_072_a?$zoom$" width="266" /></a></div><br />
Isn't it so cute? Ok, I know that the "oui" is supposed to be symbolic of a wedding, but I would wear this all the time! Guess how much it costs.<br />
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$80! Yes, $80.<br />
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I started looking around on Etsy to see what I could find. I typed in "oui charm" into the search box, and <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/45009963/oui-charms-brass-stampings?ref=sr_gallery_38&ga_search_query=oui+charms&ga_page=1&ga_search_type=supplies&ga_facet=supplies">guess what I found</a>?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.138088792.jpg" width="320" /></div><br />
Voila! There they are. Just snip off the hole at the top with jewelry pliers, and it's the exact same thing.<br />
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So here's the rest of what I came up with. I couldn't find anything <i>exactly</i> like the little yellow flower on the original ring, but I think I came fairly close.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.196223324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.196223324.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62817057/vintage-finding-tiny-metal-enamel">Tiny Metal Enamel Flowers</a>: $3.75 for 20 of them</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.194276262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.194276262.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62239057/50-pcs-5051cr-3mm-cream-3mm-half-drilled?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=pearl+half+drilled&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=supplies&ga_facet=supplies">Faux Half-Drilled 3mm Pearls:</a> $1.70 for 50</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.195232931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.195232931.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62522456/10pcs-antique-bronze-brass-free?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_query=brass+antique+ring+pad&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=supplies&ga_facet=supplies">Antique Bronze Ring Base w/ 10mm pad</a>: $4.80 for 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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And of course, you can't do it without my BFF:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.227892321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.227892321.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_384120578">E-6000 Glue</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_384120578">:</a><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70175730/e6000-5-oz-jewelry-and-craft-adhesive?ref=sr_gallery_10&ga_search_query=e6000&ga_search_type=supplies&ga_facet=supplies"> </a>$2.50</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
The total cost for all of those supplies is $18.75. If you break it down per ring, it's less than $1.87. So even if you were making just one ring for yourself, and you had to order all those supplies (and you didn't want to make any for friends as gifts) you would still save $61.25!<br />
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I say: Make it yourself!<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-77269838010913170232011-03-04T16:32:00.000-08:002011-03-04T16:32:56.259-08:00Lunch Bag from Hong KongI got this Etsy order in the mail the other day, and I can't believe it made it halfway across the world intact!<br />
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The packaging is a brown paper lunch bag!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgqcsN_spwPY2RHjsBO-3GDk8r1ia8UL0o83vM6Qaxe4sFh4RF79PMGWo2tXGbpLYmsr4s57iu8Cx3xVZTq-vnxGUwUB6eEB31QTZcQ0NZImqj4O8tMzaDfzCT75KyYPGrby_RHAHncnt/s1600/hong+kong+lunch+bag+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgqcsN_spwPY2RHjsBO-3GDk8r1ia8UL0o83vM6Qaxe4sFh4RF79PMGWo2tXGbpLYmsr4s57iu8Cx3xVZTq-vnxGUwUB6eEB31QTZcQ0NZImqj4O8tMzaDfzCT75KyYPGrby_RHAHncnt/s400/hong+kong+lunch+bag+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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These bird stamps are really cute though!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA39rMqNIDkvtLJWaUp5C3EHnL4GtSPHtOTcCov3u3SMSTSG9_gETykVvwuZMbpns4E1bByGuB_kXg8ujUEEo6iFm_Q8dUAskpwq61kwei0Lf0QcwLBxIr7yOGGAG68Gl9vIFUOreK-amZ/s1600/hong+kong+lunch+bag+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA39rMqNIDkvtLJWaUp5C3EHnL4GtSPHtOTcCov3u3SMSTSG9_gETykVvwuZMbpns4E1bByGuB_kXg8ujUEEo6iFm_Q8dUAskpwq61kwei0Lf0QcwLBxIr7yOGGAG68Gl9vIFUOreK-amZ/s400/hong+kong+lunch+bag+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Have you ever received an unusually-wrapped package in the mail?<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-76706587430262603202011-03-02T20:36:00.000-08:002011-03-02T20:36:33.096-08:00Felt Is FunBesides teaching fourth graders how to turn an improper fraction into a mixed number, and vice versa (it's pretty difficult stuff!), these are my other accomplishments of the day:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCb1g92TCVQF5xNxl4sSILo5_XWSX37end7t9djGK8nHUXjRPE5uFaFZKfokGv5xzii7dshDxzPe4Xx2C09UJxC2wfLo0sofC-9Ntk0hk6WSYSNwpWNzOePqVIwZi2D_hQVa6PdCgVfTO/s1600/dahlia+and+pinwheels+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCb1g92TCVQF5xNxl4sSILo5_XWSX37end7t9djGK8nHUXjRPE5uFaFZKfokGv5xzii7dshDxzPe4Xx2C09UJxC2wfLo0sofC-9Ntk0hk6WSYSNwpWNzOePqVIwZi2D_hQVa6PdCgVfTO/s400/dahlia+and+pinwheels+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgBnX_Yu50jceOeOss8wJxybvc6nG4tCLVe9tJXpdCyIxLXs_WPIwMI1XlaxQN3OlWB9wz6FqBZyKe_Qcsn-rWLnnAYGJZ5gWRFkKC7A1zihuWDS3TZ7Wim5IbKuWp9dmuPTlDEfK3dvd/s1600/the+mess+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgBnX_Yu50jceOeOss8wJxybvc6nG4tCLVe9tJXpdCyIxLXs_WPIwMI1XlaxQN3OlWB9wz6FqBZyKe_Qcsn-rWLnnAYGJZ5gWRFkKC7A1zihuWDS3TZ7Wim5IbKuWp9dmuPTlDEfK3dvd/s400/the+mess+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
How was your day?<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-61506721264817468252011-02-27T14:23:00.000-08:002011-02-27T14:23:20.441-08:00Coin Purses and ClutchesThere are so many talented artists and crafters out there on Etsy, and I love to showcase handmade goods whenever I can!<br />
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I've been noticing cute clutches and coin purses here and there, so I started bookmarking them so I could do a round-up of my favorites once I had a dozen or so. Buying handmade is always an excellent option when you're trying to find a gift for someone, so maybe you'll see something here that makes you think of someone you know, and you can add a little handmade love to their life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx36NPzwVQGw0FRA66NgU2CnAmpKvlc-lEr6jUmn1KIDlHyGNd1q4JM1Fxha3Zz6f-2OJGdgKJeBITp1K-jLUxbudYF17UeCG2J4auD4Bs7V8lFf4K7b_pMcnMeLyaE3bPBEp6H19H2Hu/s1600/round-up+coin+purses+and+clutches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcx36NPzwVQGw0FRA66NgU2CnAmpKvlc-lEr6jUmn1KIDlHyGNd1q4JM1Fxha3Zz6f-2OJGdgKJeBITp1K-jLUxbudYF17UeCG2J4auD4Bs7V8lFf4K7b_pMcnMeLyaE3bPBEp6H19H2Hu/s1600/round-up+coin+purses+and+clutches.jpg" /></a></div><br />
1. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/63473041/coin-purse-retro-mod-flowers-on-natural">Retro Mod Flower Coin Purse, from oktak</a><br />
2. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/57461228/the-petal-coin-purse-in-army-green">The Petal Coin Purse in Army Green, from Definition of Self</a><br />
3. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65572823/happy-blooms-fifi-clutch">Happy Blooms Fifi Clutch, from Bagatelles and Co.</a><br />
4. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/44212998/medium-clutch-purse-echino-tiger-on-the">Medium Clutch Purse, from Kimberly Jones Designs</a><br />
5. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66538727/colorful-leaves-8-inches-large-silver">Colorful Leaves, from FA2u</a><br />
6. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/63130691/big-flower-colorful-8-inches-large">Big Flower, from FA2u</a><br />
7. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65753115/wristlet-pleated-gray-wool">Wristlet, Pleated Gray Wool, from East Ashley</a><br />
8. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66942423/quilted-pouch">Quilted Clutch, from Rachel Whelton</a> (this one's a real bargain: only $9.00!)<br />
9. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61749392/clutch-zipper-purse-brown-tweed-w-wool">Clutch Zipper Purse, from Atomique47</a><br />
10. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/23528386/business-sortie-clutch-brown-clutch">Business Sortie Brown Clutch, from Yellow Wallpaper</a><br />
11. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62743525/on-sale-15-off-romantic-rose-pleats-in">Romantic Rose Pleats in Brown, from Lolos</a><br />
12. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61301789/vanilla-and-cream-check-clutch-with">Vanilla and Cream Check Clutch, from Kelly's Keepsakes</a><br />
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Any favorites there? Do you like the more classic styles, like number 2 and number 7, or do you like something with more pizzazz to it, like numbers 1 and 3, or do you prefer something with a pretty feminine embellishment, like numbers 11 and 12?<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-18262313276371451742011-02-22T19:06:00.000-08:002011-02-22T19:06:38.533-08:00Yevgenia {ceramic artist}I present this week's artist to you with a fresh batch of eye candy. The artist is Russian-born, New York-residing <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/yevgenia">Yevgenia</a>, and she sells hand-painted ceramic items for the home and kitchen.<br />
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As often is the case, her items are a bit beyond my budget, but somehow I think coffee might taste better coming from one of her beautifully painted travel mugs, and I think the noodle bowls with the little holes for the chopsticks to rest in so they don't go rolling away are so perfect. All of these designs remind me of sunny spring days!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.210309443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.210309443.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66433455/custom-hand-painted-noodle-bowl-any">Noodle Bowls</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.195075845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.195075845.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62476626/hand-painted-eco-cup-poppy-botanical">Hand-Painted Eco-Cup, Botanical Collection</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.216795779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.216795779.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/59398711/custom-painted-ceramic-eco-friendly">Custom Painted Ceramic Eco-Mug, Botanical Collection</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.221310490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.221310490.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/68639590/ready-to-ship-sauce-bottle-grass-and">Sauce Bottle, Grass and Buds Collection</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
What do you think? Wouldn't the little sauce bottle look darling sitting on a sunny kitchen windowsill? Visit the store <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/yevgenia?ref=seller_info">here</a>.<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-77139718252347122502011-02-19T10:35:00.000-08:002011-02-19T10:35:06.729-08:00HonestyThis quarter, my fourth graders are reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". Last week, my students took a pop quiz on a particular chapter that they had to read for homework. The following photo is a picture of one student's pop quiz.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaF9DDYgYqWZE3eEEsVZ0Tp1GMUNM08IoVBVmeD-miJWGqZNG0XCtvG4wUzJp0QvGZFozm8BADqkq4_HrLRx13AuTP3YUUXipTX4h8wsb4cRT5uBqZlkt4NcI2NccUzcWgsVwr5YN6bFo/s1600/1297375172831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaF9DDYgYqWZE3eEEsVZ0Tp1GMUNM08IoVBVmeD-miJWGqZNG0XCtvG4wUzJp0QvGZFozm8BADqkq4_HrLRx13AuTP3YUUXipTX4h8wsb4cRT5uBqZlkt4NcI2NccUzcWgsVwr5YN6bFo/s400/1297375172831.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br />
Seems like nothing unusual. Let's zoom in a little bit. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDeJBYwWSxmnPWNhO4DVDbKc6pUKqn-9zXPHG7YyvcR1SyGyNaKriImBIhX5j4h4lw5TLapf2dcj8XtxTpeAq9aTHiWGfF9ft_LKpYxc5xG97owt8sIfGR5pllb-Yg70fa4XNny3smaHd/s1600/1297375228623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDeJBYwWSxmnPWNhO4DVDbKc6pUKqn-9zXPHG7YyvcR1SyGyNaKriImBIhX5j4h4lw5TLapf2dcj8XtxTpeAq9aTHiWGfF9ft_LKpYxc5xG97owt8sIfGR5pllb-Yg70fa4XNny3smaHd/s400/1297375228623.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I know I got it wrong"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Yeah, he did get it wrong. Better read more carefully next time. I love it when my kids are honest.<br />
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This, by the way, is the same student who proclaimed he loves In 'n' Out so much that he would marry it, and he loves it so much that he sleeps with the In 'n' Out hat on at night.<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-11795132641725085442011-02-15T19:13:00.000-08:002011-02-15T19:16:20.350-08:00Matte StephensThis week's artist is <a href="http://www.matteart.blogspot.com/">Matte Stephens</a> from Portland, Oregon. I have enjoyed his art for some time now, and I'm hoping that some of you will enjoy it too. Perhaps you have even already heard of him!<br />
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Many of his prints charmingly depict particular cities, like San Francisco, New York, or Hamburg.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.214487255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.214487255.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/67452357/relaxing-in-san-francisco-limited">Relaxing in San Francisco</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.216849155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.216849155.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/68022780/san-francisco-limited-edition-13x19">San Francisco</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.195207605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.195207605.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62515116/hamburg-germany-limited-edition-11x14">Hamburg, Germany</a></td></tr>
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Some depict people and relationships:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.63514501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.63514501.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/22896113/family-vacation-print">Family Vacation</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.211140104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.211140104.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66634586/meeting-to-feed-birds-limited-edition">Meeting to Feed the Birds</a></td></tr>
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And some of Matte Stephens' prints are just <i>made</i> by the title, such as the following:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.214097902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.214097902.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/67357738/edwin-and-rosemary-upon-arriving-at">Edwin and Rosemary upon arriving at Yosemite for their honeymoon <br />
were lucky enough to spot a rare green friendly soft tooth bear, 1927.</a></td></tr>
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What do you think of Matte Stephens?<br />
Check out his blog <a href="http://matteart.blogspot.com/">here</a>, and his shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/matteart">here</a>!<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-29937475801755557712011-02-13T20:15:00.000-08:002011-02-15T20:20:09.847-08:00New DressI am working on sewing a dress this week.<br />
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The fabric is pretty, and sewing with my cheery yellow pins is quite nice.<br />
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I can't wait to show you the finished product!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWDb1x_8UfcEKvd2Tc7l13GVC48tsV_MZXveOowF96TOUmf6n8KQIJoRzStb5u63vhNpTHb99X3D46ok-_H2KT70vDusBAsIXaZKzWGaLka8ZzCgJELZxFFFLuMiYuDNGuIfvbF91oL-q/s1600/dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWDb1x_8UfcEKvd2Tc7l13GVC48tsV_MZXveOowF96TOUmf6n8KQIJoRzStb5u63vhNpTHb99X3D46ok-_H2KT70vDusBAsIXaZKzWGaLka8ZzCgJELZxFFFLuMiYuDNGuIfvbF91oL-q/s640/dress.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.annamariahorner.com/socialite.front.back.pdf">This</a> is the pattern I'm using.<br />
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965273314665327555.post-19474407861242558292011-02-09T19:57:00.000-08:002011-02-09T19:57:34.817-08:00Felt Dahlia Tutorial<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/news.holidash.com/media/2010/04/dahliatablecloth4-19-10slw-1271702394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/news.holidash.com/media/2010/04/dahliatablecloth4-19-10slw-1271702394.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.notmartha.org/">Megan Reardon</a></span></td></tr>
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I made a felt dahlia just like that, and believe it or not, it was not nearly as difficult as it looks! (I would post a picture, but the ones I attempted to take with my high-tech camera phone just didn't turn out so well).<br />
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Find the tutorial here: <a href="http://news.holidash.com/2010/04/23/mothers-day-corsage/">Mother's Day Corsage</a><br />
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The directions are very clear and easy to follow.<br />
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My input is this: Don't stress about cutting the petals perfectly. Once they are glued on, no one will be able to tell if yours aren't the exact shape of the ones in the tutorial. My other tip: Use a glue gun. Megan Reardon, who wrote the tutorial, recommends using a glue called "Fabri-tac", and she says it takes awhile to set. Glue guns make my life so much simpler, and the hot glue bonds to felt like no one's business. <br />
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Try it out! You'll be impressed with your abilities when you're finished!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/news.holidash.com/media/2010/04/dahliaonsweater4-19-10slw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/news.holidash.com/media/2010/04/dahliaonsweater4-19-10slw.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.notmartha.org/">Megan Reardon</a></span></td></tr>
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.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05607429108100670276noreply@blogger.com0