Ornaments

It is that time of year.  

My FAVORITE time of year.

ORNAMENT time of year.  

Which doesn't just mean that we all get a new ornament.

It means that Thanksgiving and Christmas are HERE!!!

I love the sights the smells the sounds.... I LOVE IT ALL!

This year for our ornaments I decided to make silhouettes of each of us. 

Here is how I made them....

1.  Take a picture of your subject with the light behind.  I took ours at a window during the day.  Notice that this can prove harder then thought if your subject is 18 months.  

2.  Then I printed off the picture just onto regular paper because we are going to cut it out.  

3.  Then as I just mentioned cut out the picture using scissors or an exacto knife.  ( I am sure that I spelled that wrong)  Be VERY careful to leave even the tiniest of details.  

4.  Get the material or paper that you want the silhouette to be on and cut it to desired shape and size.  I used some colored paper but your favorite fabric would work perfectly. Then you are going to trace around the cut out picture onto the fabric or paper. 

5.  Now paint in the traced picture using a little paintbrush so that you can get all of the cute curly hairs and such!  I AM NOT A PAINTER.  Let me repeat that again.  I AM NOT A PAINTER.  Ask Daniel there have been many times that I start painting something and ruin it and throw it away...  But I DID THIS all by myself!!! SO YOU CAN TO!

6.  Let DRY... completely

7.  Attach some string and either mount on some wood, cardboard or just more paper.  It just depends on how heavy and sturdy you want it to be.  You could even put them in a fabulous picture frame and tie some ribbon on to that!  BE CREATIVE!  I was being frugal and didn't want to spend any extra money, so I just used stuff that I had around the house which worked perfectly for me.

I have wanted to attempt making silhouettes for awhile now.  I have wanted to do big ones of us on our wall, but I was too afraid.  Now I know that I can do them... and so can you.  GIVE IT A TRY.  Or call me and I'll do it for you!  SERIOUSLY... 

Happy Holidays and Silhouette Making

XOXO

the Domestic Goddess

TWENTY FIVE

(like father like son... love of soda)

So this is what 25 looks like?

Breakfast of choice, today it was breakfast burritos.

Well wishing signs posted in your honor.

Getting new basketball attire.

Eating steak for lunch with great company.

Wearing crowns.

Playing guitar.

Making wishes with RED STAR balloons.  

Taking naps. 

EATING at a quaint little restaurant of choice. Maybe you've heard of it, Mcdonalds?

German chocolate pie with vanilla ice cream.  

25 sounds Great doesn't it?

Did you also know that 25 is bigger than 16!

Daniel reminded me of this a few times yesterday.  

I wonder if at 16 this is what this 25 year old thought his life would be like.  

He probably thought that he would be the lead singer in a rock band.

The star shooter on a college ball team.

Being the ladies man that he THINKS he is. 

Maybe he isn't doing these things, as a 25 year old that he thought he would be.  

  But Baby T and I are sure glad that we got to celebrate this momentous occasion with him.  We sure do LOVE you Big D. 

and.... JUST REMEMBER THAT 25 IS BIGGER THAN 16!

The perfect cupcake afternoon

Yesterday I spent a lovely afternoon with these two men.

We ran scouting errands.

We drove through downtown I.F.

Admired some fabulous old houses that I would love to fix and domesticate.

We "patiently" looked around at styles and clothes.

We bought a festive holiday sweater for baby T.

We played on the mall toys.  Note to self... they are way more fun when you don't put money in them.

A dear friend told me to enjoy these days while Daniel isn't working/going to school because he will be for the rest of his life.  

I needed to hear that and so I took her advice to heart. 

We stopped at the closest Starbucks for a raspberry italian soda and a vanilla cupcake that looked divine.  

Only it wasn't. It was as hard as a rock and probably a few days old.  

Now I am craving the PERFECT cupcake.  

I think that I will go and try to make it.  
Don't worry I already ate my fruits and vegi's for the day.  Did you?

Wish me luck!

xoxo

the Domestic Goddess

LOVELY LOVE

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE this guy?

Well I do and it isn't just because he makes me laugh.  Real hard sometimes.  He even made me laugh until I cried the other night and that hasn't happened before.  

It isn't just because he waited to kiss me (in public) until our wedding day.  Just because he knows that I am a private person.  He is also an AMAZING kisser!  

It isn't just because he is a great dad to this little MAN.

It isn't just because he tells me that I am beautiful.  See he is shouting it to the world 
right here I am not making this up...

It isn't just because he works real hard for Thomas and I.

It isn't just because he is so manly and strong.

It IS ALL of these things... and mostly because he is the only person that has ever made me feel this way.  You know IN LOVE and I know that he feels that way about me too... that is why I LOVE him.  You can see the LOVELY LOVE in my eyes 3 years ago, and it is still here today.  

Diet

It seems I am in a constant battle with myself to be BETTER.

I love food and nutrition

BUT

today I want to be BETTER

So here is the deal I am making a goal of ADDING something to my diet

Sounds like my kind of a diet... getting to eat more!

note: when I say diet I am not talking about the kind where you eat strange items for a few weeks to drop a few pounds and then go back to your old ways only to gain it ALL back

When I say diet I mean EVERYTHING that we eat, a PATTERN in which we eat 

or a LIFESTYLE.

Now that I got that out of the way 

I want to add something to my diet...

(at least) 5 fruits and vegetables each day.

Some of you are thinking that I am crazy because you eat at least 10 a day

That is fabulous for you... just ignore this post and go on with your life

BUT, for those of you who aren't sure what you eat I want to 

CHALLENGE you to join me in my journey

RULES: 

1. Eat a total of 5 fruits/vegetables combined each day

2. Make it a variety from day to day (I find myself eating apples, carrots and bananas ALOT)

3.  Don't be afraid to try new Fruits and Vegis

4.  Aim for "5 a day the color way" 

5.  Introduce new foods by looking up new recipes

Oh how we LOVE pomegranates...

* As mothers with young children don't be afraid to introduce new foods.  If they don't take to them the first, second or tenth time... KEEP TRYING because I think I have hear that it takes at least 20 times. (don't quote me on that)  Thomas will devour something one day and not touch it the next.  I just have it there and let him decide.

I am so excited and I hope some of you will join me in my journey.

Just think of it as a healthy support group or something.

Now that I have bored you all (since you already do this, I am sure)

Just like I bored this little fellow while he was eating his snack

I will leave you now.  

But not without a little reminder... This diet is all about ADDING more and more

that is why you can go ahead and make my cinnamon LOVE rolls 

from my last post and NOT feel guilty. 

Go ahead and check it out!

Cinnamon Love

This recipe has been requested by many...


I hope that this recipe brings happiness to all and maybe even a few kisses from the Mr.


Cinnamon Roll Love.... Recipe from the Kitchen of Mary Ann Dunn (She is the Queen)




in a large bowl combine 


1 can evaporated milk
1 can (same can as the evaporated milk) hot water
3/4 cup oil (any kind... vegetable or canola)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp yeast


keep the above ingredients warm until it reacts completely... may take up to an hour (I sometimes fill the sink with HOT water and place the bowl in there to keep it warm)


Then add 5 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt


mix it all up then add

4 eggs
2 more cups of flour (add more if needed for the right texture.  SOFT dough, not glossy, not too sticky)  This is key you don't want to over mix and make the mixture stiff.  You want them light and flaky.


Let rise for 1.5 hours or until dough has doubled
Then Roll out on a buttered counter top into a rectangle depending on the thickness desired
Spread soft butter over the dough
Add as much cinnamon and sugar as desired... quite a bit
Roll up dough and cut
Let rise again in the pan (buttered) until doubled


Bake 350 for 20 minutes (I over cooked mine in this picture so maybe go a few minutes less and then do more if needed)


* I use this recipe for regular rolls as well
* I use regular all purpose flour... never tried anything different don't know how adding wheat would turn out
* For frosting I just mix powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla (but the other day I did a caramel topping and they were divine)
*these take a lot of time because of all the rising... but if you have the time they ARE worth it.  They also can be made in advance and then frozen to be used at a later time.  
*DON'T laugh because I like really detailed recipes... so when I give them that is what you get as well.  

Listen

I'm listening to these two....

Dance to music, father, play ball, try to get into doors, read stories, play guitar, try to talk, encourage and laugh....

All while I am supposed to be napping.

It is just too much fun LISTENING