I think I can....

So, if you follow me on instagram you're aware of my new hobby.

Canning has become a creative outlet for me.

I have fallen hard for mason jars. The Ball Blue Book is a page turner for me these days.

I spent last Friday night driving to 4 grocery stores in search of a watermelon with a thick enough rind to use for watermelon rind pickles. (Who knew we have all but eliminated watermelon rind?)

So far I've made
4 pints of Fig Preserves (Our very own figs from our very own tree in our very own yard!)
11 pints of Apple Butter (with apples from the Oswalt's farm)
9 half-pints of Muscadine Jelly (with Miuscadines from Dede and Papa's)
5 pints of Watermelon Rind Pickles

I just LOVE it. and last weekend when I was a Target I noticed this....

...so, I must not be the only one who has rediscovered canning and preserving and am trying it out.


Everything about it reminds me of my grandparents. I can remember sitting on Grandmommy and Grandaddy's patio helping to shuck and silk corn to put up and breaking bags and bags and bags of beans with my mom, aunts and cousins.

I remember Gaga sharing preserves and jellies on his famous Gaga bread that folks would like up for. I can remember sharing biscuits and jelly with Nanny and Gaga on their deck the morning of my wedding because I just stopped by before going to the church.

Inside those jars are sweet memories.

I understand now why they didn't seem to mind all of the work that went into making jars of jellies, pints of corn, loaves of bread. The satisfaction that comes with taking one thing and creating something that you can keep or share is wonderful. I can only imagine that it's simlar for artists or crafters, this medium is just a delicious one and the studio starts in the field and ends in the kitchen.

and let me say this- I am NOT what you would ever describe as a perfectionist. I am have ZERO OCD-tendencies. I sometimes wish I did, but oh well.

But I can do this and you can, too! I thought it would be too hard or tedious or impossible to do with toddlers, but I was wrong.

I'm learning as I go and careful to follow instructions, but I love it.

Here's to sweet memories and many, many delicious biscuits for breakfast.

Mocha-Cake-Love

My sweet cousin, Kathy shared this cake with us a few weeks ago when Grandmommy passed away and shared the recipe with me this week when a friend of Dede's lost her father.

This is my new go-to recipe when I need a dessert to take to a friend, family or pot-luck. It is amazing.

Kathy and I cook the exact same way...only measuring when necessary and shooting from the hip. What can I say?? When it comes to the kitchen we were both raised right.

This is how Kathy and I made this awesome cake.

Cake:
1 box Chocolate Cake mix ( i used Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge) according to package directions.
3 Tablespoons Instant Coffee, dissolved in a bit of water

Follow cake instructions, I cut about 5 minutes off of my baking time to make sure my cake was nice and most and to prevent any burning of the edges.

Frosting: 
2/3 Cup softened butter
2 1/2 to 3 cups Confectioners sugar
3T Cocoa ( i used Hershey's)
Strong Brewed Coffee and Cream (I did 1/2 cup of HOT water with 3T of instant coffee and added enough vanilla creamer to make the coffee a khaki color)

Mix  butter and sugar (add sugar in thirds) on medium, then switch to high after butter and sugar are incorporated  Add Coffee Tablespoon at time and mix well. (Mixture will be sandy before adding the liquid, ti's okay) If your frosting is too grainy  add more (coffee) liquid. If it's too bland add another 1/2 -1 teaspoon of cocoa. If it's too runny add more confectioners sugar and make it your own. 

Try this next time you are taking food to a new parent, new neighbor, the bereaved  a pot-luck, or anytime you and coffee lovers gather in the name of glucose.

:)

Somebunny's One {party stuff}

The invitation--(the one I sent included the address)

 The sweets...

 I wasn't sure what to do for a cake topper, so I chose to work with a medium I am familiar with-ribbon! I'm happy with the way it turned out. The "L" is a craft letter with scrapbook paper mod-podged to it. (Can I use Mod-podge as a verb??)

 The white chocolate bunnies were picked up on the Easter Aisle at CVS or DG, I was going to make my own, but when I saw them it was too easy not to pick them up and save myself the trouble of getting the molds and making them myself. Everything else I made. 

 We used Daddio's highchar for the birthday girl. This was it's 1st tutu in 38 years, and possibly it's last cake smash. 

  I filled our entry table with some pics of Lizzy as well as one from Jay's 1st birthday and a baby pic of myself and Daddio, just so we could compare. I made the pink frames based on a tutorial from my friend Sarah, you can find it here.

 Close up of water bottle labels.

The favors. 

Turned around and climbing up

This happened today-

 I turned Lizzy to forward facing and am trying sitting Lizzy in the middle. I have a feeling I'll be moving her and these two won't be riding side by side for long. (in the 4 minute drive home from school Jay told me to tell Liz to "keep hands self" roughly 5,642 times.)

And then Lizzy did this...

No way, no how am I okay with this little stunt. Now I just have to figure out what to do about it. 

While this is not the solution, this also happened today-

(this photo was taken in the utility sink)

Thanks to Sarah for her inspiration!! 

Naptime Project: First Time Bow-Making

While at Hobby Lobby this week I ran across this brochure about bow making. Ribbon was half-off, so I decided I would give it a whirl. If it didn't work out I could always use the ribbon when I make Lizzy's bow holder, so I had nothing to lose.

Here are the results from my first attempt...

 I learned quite a bit by just playing around with these and using the basic instructions from the booklet. No plans to become a professional bow maker, but these will work and I needed these colors for a few outfits we may wear in the hospital and didn't want to wait on having them custom made. I think it's a win.

One note-the pink/purple/white bow is the Triple-Stack bow from the brochure and I used the Xyron to fuse the ribbons together. This bow is pretty heavy due to that step.I think for a tiny baby I would skip the Xyron step and just use single layers at least on the solid colors where the front/back are the same.

Easy ABC's

This was a fun little decor project for Jay's room. I completed it a month or more ago, but just got it mounted on the wall this week.

$0.99 Letters from Hobby Lobby

Spray paint- I did his initials in lime green, all the other letters in his name are white and the left over letters are blue or turquoise.

I attached the letters with small wooden craft sticks on the back and hot glue and mounted with 6 velcro Command strips.

Jay's First Birthday!

We have had a WONDERFUL time this week celebrating the ultimate "first" Jay's 1st Birthday!

Kelsey spent the week with us and was a huge help with party planning and prep. Jay loved playing with her and having a backseat buddy on all of our errands. He laughed and laughed every time we got in the car and Kelsey climbed in beside him.

On Jay's birthday we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant with Jay, Mommy, Daddio, Mimi, Papa, Dede, Aunt Jennifer, Weston, Davis and Kelsey then came back home for presents and cake. We had so much fun!

We continued the week with party prep and celebrated on Saturday with 40 or so of our nearest and dearest. Jay had the most fun! Mommy and Daddio loved his party, spending time with our wonderful friends and family who love Jay and have helped make this past year so spectacular. I had a little speech planned for his party and intended to give it right before we did Jay's cake. The reality was that with all of the action, I completely forgot, so pardon me while I share a few thoughts....

A year ago we were overwhelmed with joy when we first met our little "Turkey". Looking around at his party a year later we are still overwhelmed with joy when we think back on the blessings Jay has brought to our lives this year. We've gone from life in 90 minute increments (sleep, feed, sleep, feed) to a full 365 days of happiness, cuddles and laughter with our little one. We have so many people to thank for their support of our family this year. Mostly God for his grace and faith in us to trust us to be Jay's parents, but also our family and all of our wonderful friends who have loved our little fella and made this the best year of our lives. Our little family has grown so much--in number, in faith, in hope, in love and we could never have imagined life could be this good. Thanks be to God for his many and wonderful gifts. Thanks be to you  for supporting our family as we grow. Thanks be to our family for making our lives so unbelievable. Thanks be to my husband, Daddio for being the Head of our home and creating a great place for all of us that is safe and secure. Thanks be to Turkey for showing us the never ending joy and love that comes from being your parents. 

XOXO,
Allison

4, 9, 1, 31, 56, 2-all about numbers

This week, it's all about the numbers.....

4

I started a little craft project for Easter, then it was suggested I make a few more to see if they sold. In 4 days I sold 4, so back to the craft store I go.

The prototype.

Sold! 

As I mentioned before, Dede has recently become a vendor at Homewood Antiques, so we sent 4 to display. She sold one walking in the door last Saturday afternoon. I couldn't have imagined they would be so popular! I will produce more this week and am creating some additional designs for holidays and special occasions. I will also figure out a better way to photograph them!!

9, 1

Joseph and I celebrated our 9th Valentine's Day together-- but our 1st with Jay!! 

Jay's loot. (Yes, another Lion.)

Daddio helping Gus "sign" Jay's card.

Precious' turn!

Happy little valentine!

Daddio cooked a DELICIOUS meal for Mommy after Jay went to bed!

31, 56, 2

My birthday was Wednesday! Hello, 31! We had to get up extra early to catch our flight to VEGAS! We took our first trip without Jay! I was a bit  nervous but created a set of freakishly detailed thorough instructions for Mimi and Dede and everybody did great! (excessive use of exclamation points, anyone?)

We were gone for 56 hours, ate some great meals, stayed at the Aria which was wonderful and took 2 crappy pictures. Oh well, we have the memories and they are much better than these 2 photos. :)

The King and I.