No Bake Energy Bites ... by the kids!

I get this question a lot! Mom, can we make something? Since they are referring to cooking and not crafting, my practical self has that voice inside me going....."I know there is going to be a mess left for yours truly to clean up even when there is the promise to clean it all up themselves."

My reply? "Umm, what are y'all wanting to make" Those energy bites we had once! I'm thinking, well I sort of like having a stash of those on hand anyways so we'll see how this goes. Since it requires no actual cooking, only assembly, I figure go for it.

I first sampled these little yummies at a Pinterest Party I had at my house. We all brought a dish we had pinned and had wanted to try and then we did a pinned craft project as well. Lots of fun and it's a great way to sample all the things we pin! If you've never had one, schedule one with your girlfriends. I give you this promise, you'll have a great time!


So this recipe is originally on this great blog Smashed Peas and Carrots and I've copied it below. You've got a little flexibility in the recipe if you want a flavor upped a bit or maybe taken down a notch. My kids of course want lots of chocolate chips but I try to stay conservative on those. Got another ingredient you want in there? raisins? dried cranberries? Shift things around as you like!

No-Bake Energy Bites
(makes 18-20 bites)

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.
Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!
Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.


It really is as easy as just dumping in a bowl. Maybe the biggest stumbling block my girls came across was getting everything like the peanut butter and honey out of the measuring cups. This was probably the only part I got involved in so they could learn the purpose of the spatula!


They are ready to go and decided to skip chilling this bowl for the half hour....patience not one of our household good qualities!


Here they go making their balls. Mishapen, different sizes, every single one looks different but they still all taste delish.


They discovered the downside of skipping the "chill your mix for half an hour" part of the directions. Sticky messy hands!


Well there ya have it. No doctoring to their work has been done. Here's our gorgeous platter of snacks all shapes and sizes and I have to tell you, every family member loves them. If you love girl scout Carmel Delights, you'll love these. Give them a try, or if you choose, let your kids loose in the kitchen! These are perfect for after school snacks and we've even put them in their lunches.

I want wavy Beach Curls in my hair

This past weekend, my 2 girls had a weekend they look forward to every year. The annual Daddy/Daughter dance! Heck I look forward to this weekend since it's a ball getting them gussied up for their #1 guy. They love heading out shopping, picking something to wear and keeping it secret til the big reveal the night of the dance. It's such a sweet thing seeing all the pretty young ladies heading off for the evening.

This year they got very specific on how they wanted their hair and I know it's all thanks to Pinterest! They've searched all kinds of things you'd expect any pre-teen to check out. My oldest has been teaching herself to french braid and any help from me was not welcomed. She was going it alone with her hair. My younger daughter on the other hand announced she wanted beach curls like THESE that she'd seen on my Pinterest board.


Here is her normal hair, it dries VERY straight and it's thin and fine so I had low hopes of getting volume and waves but figured we'd give it a shot and wanted to share our results. Click on any photo to see it enlarged.



First we showered and blew her hair dry to where it was still semi-damp. Then I just sectioned off her hair. I'd suggest dividing up her hair however you like. I think we had 7 or 8 sections. Take each section of hair and twist it as much as you can and twist in the direction you want the curls to go. I wanted them to curl towards her face so we twisted that direction. It really only matters for those first 2 sections on either side of their eyes.


You can twist the other sections either direction. Keep twisting until the hair is tight and starts to coil up then wind it up in a tight bun and pin in place with a bobby pin.




After you've done the entire head we sprayed some hairspray lightly all over the head and then hairdry the hair til it's completely dry. We put another light spray of hairspray on the hair, waited just a bit and then took out all of the buns. DON'T BRUSH! We just flipped our head over and back loosening up the curls and lightly finger combing the curls.


My daughter who has very straight and fine hair was so happy with her new beach curls that we were able to do in about 20 minutes and required no curling iron or rollers to fry her hair!


We added a few bobby pins to pull back off her face and then added some more hairspray. Never enough spray to make you think flammable 80's hair but enough to help keep them in place.


And there ya have it, one happy girl ready for the night and they were still there when she came home!

Handmade from the heart

I love ALL things handmade from the Heart

Yes, I absolutely love it all! I'm also guilty of throwing away a LOT of artwork that has come home. We've probably all been through the experience of our kids heartbroken faces when they found something of theirs in the garbage and then start a routine check of what you are tossing! Over the years we all know it's just impossible to keep each and every drawing, trinket, pottery pinch pot, paper airplane or whatever item has been brought home. Each of my kiddos has a big rubbermaid bin to store all of their favorite creations. Over the course of the years, we've stashed favorite art projects, journals they've written in and a huge variety of things they've made through the years. I know these will be precious memories for me when they are grown and gone.

Earlier this week I wore a very special necklace my son made for me when he was 4 for a Christmas present. (Sorry about the crummy pic, I just grabbed it sitting here at my desk on the webcam :) I just love it and every now and then pull it out to wear. He loves that and when I wear it, he likes to recall the story of when he made it. "Mommy, do you remember when I made that for you and I told you I was making it for someone very special but wouldn't tell you who?" Well of course I do, I may be getting older, the brain is getting foggier but certain memories like this are ones I hold onto dearly! I loved watching you lay out your pattern selecting the perfect colors and then watching you wrap it all while telling me it was a secret who it was for but that she was special. My younger daughter made me a splatter paint patterned duct tape bow yesterday. Hhhhmmm, I guess I'm going to need to wear that one day soon too. What have your kids made you that melts your heart whenever you see it? I love the ones they dream up and then I love spending an afternoon with them crafting and spending time together. Next up? Ugly Dolls!! My kids love these little stuffed fleece monster dolls and I see no reason why we can't make our own. Stay tuned to a later blog post on how those turn out.

Twins...Double the FUN

I love hearing from you! I love getting your emails, your photos and always enjoy special requests. Not too long ago I got an email from the mom of twins. She loves to match them but likes to give them a bit of their own personality by changing things up a little for each girl. I totally get that and I like her approach.

My own girls are only 18 months apart and when they were little I matched them all the time. It wasn't so much a matter of matching, but more a matter of liking something and then just buying 2 and then they tended to wear them at the same time. It sort of made life easy getting them dressed. The funny part was how many times I'd get asked if they were twins. Really?? that made me chuckle! They don't look like twins, are built entirely different and there was an obvious difference in their growth because of their age gap. Still, it never stopped the inquiries. Eventually I decided I needed to give them their own personalities, play up to their preferences and colors they liked and stop dressing them in matching uniforms!


For the sweet mom that emailed me, here is what we came up with. She liked the color combinations on the Makena Dress (shown below) and asked if I had anything that could be created to go along with it. It just so happened I had the exact fabrics in different colorways on hand. You know this girl loves fabric so I tend to have lots of options on hand! I have to say, I'm loving the change up and think these little 2 year old cuties are going to look adorable! I had to grab a photo to share before we mail them off today. Today I decided to hang them from my new shabby ladder. This is one of the gems I grabbed during my trip to Fredericksburg. It's currently in my house just making a wall look pretty but I have a feeling it might show up in more photos. The perfect little prop to hang things from.



So if you have an idea in your head of a twist on a design that I've currently got, ask away, I invite the requests!

New Twirl Skirt in the Cowgirl Lineup

If there is one thing I can't seem to get out of my system, it's got to be my cowgirl inspired pieces. Often times I think I'm done finding fabrics that work in a new twist of colors and pattern and then new fabrics just start to jump out to me begging to be paired with the pony print! Must be because at my core, I know I'm a country girl. Anyone who follows me on Pinterest probably already knows that!

This current piece, that is in my Etsy store, was even more fun to do because it involved a collaboration. Tabitha over at Vintage Lucy's sent me a few of her designs and let me create something to coordinate. Wait a second, need to backup, have you ever checked out Vintage Lucy's? Serious yumminess. Vintage graphics with an oh so fresh feel to them. Her store literally carries something cool for every person in the family, young and old.


Kids just grow up too fast and I think we need to fight the urge of adopting the slightly older girl styles until well...they're older! I know that's why I was immediately drawn to her brand, it's youthful, fresh and I delighted in the opportunity in designing a new piece around her graphic. I'm loving summer blues with soft corals and crisp white so this little # is definitely one of my new favorites. Add cowgirl boots and well..you've hit perfection!



After that comes together it's even more fun seeing the pictures come to life through a sweet little model and talented photographer. One of my favorite things is seeing my pieces through someone else's eyes. If you are lucky enough to live in the Birmingham, AL area, you MUST check out Heather Swanner Photography. What a talent behind the camera she is. You can see the full album of photos on my Facebook page.

I tried going GREEN

No I'm not going green using organic fabrics exclusively. I recycle as much as I can already so that's not the big change in our house. I went green in the kitchen! Green as in I tried the green smoothie recipe I'd pinned a while back. Like any household, we go through spells of resolving to add in more veggies and make an overall attempt to eat healthier. My kids are decent eaters but they definitely stay in the predictable zone of veggies they'll try. Corn, peas...you know the easy starchy ones. We've been on a smoothie kick lately ever since we got THIS kitchen gadget. Love it, works great!! Since we've been on this kick, I figured, that'd be a great place to mix things up and sneak in those things they'd normally never try.....spinach!


I grabbed all of the ingredients shown below found originally on this Skinny Taste website. but will throw in my own notes or substitutions. I didn't use Greek yogurt. I used the Yoplait light and fit vanilla yogurt just to cut down the overall calories. Love the creaminess of Greek yogurt but wanted to save on calories. I also ended up buying a can of pineapple chunks. I just have to be realistic about my shopping tendancies and buying the canned pineapple that can go on a shelf so it's there anytime I need was just a lot more practical. My grocery store didn't have anything that said light coconut milk so I just grabbed the lowest cal stuff I could find.

Skinny Green Tropical Smoothie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup light coconut milk
6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
3/4 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
1 ripe medium banana
1 cup spinach - tightly packed
2 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/4 cups ice


I have to say, it was a great smoothie!!! It might look like split pea soup but it was great. Not quite as delish as ones we typically make filled with a lot more yogurt, using V8 splash juice for my liquid and naturally being overall sweeter but this is definitely something I'll make again. Considering how much spinach is in it, this gets 2 thumbs up. I did end up adding more ice, it wasn't the consistency I like so wanted to thicken it up. I know I'll have to get my kids over the fact that it's green but I'm certain they'll love it and I'll consider it a success we are all taking in that much spinach.

I kept a calorie tally of everything I put in. The recipe makes 2 servings, each 200 calories. Satisfying and takes the edge off the hunger pains that hit me hard mid-afternoon. When the kids get home from school this will be one of my new snacks I'm going to put into rotation to keep me from grabbing the bags of salt and vinegar chips I love so dearly!


My 2 youngest kids came home so I could get little people reviews. They seemed unenthusiastic as they asked what all was in it. I knew the color would throw them off. Happy to report, we got 2 thumbs up!

Enjoy and if you have any substitutions or additions you've used, please comment. I'm always interested in mixing things up in new ways.

GO....Register and BID!!!

We've all had those things that show up in our lives where we just can't see what's fair about it. Why can't the bad stuff in life be equally dished out to the folks doing bad stuff! We like fairness right? Problem is, we look at the world through our own eyes and try as we might, we will never understand His plan.

Meet Ashley from Lil Blue Boo. Ashley is one of those people after following on the internet, you can't but help feel you know her. She invites you into her life, you know her family, and her design ideas and capabilities seem to have no limit. She is one of the most generous artist you will find who shares her ideas and passion for what she loves to do through her website. What an inspiration.

These days, she seems to be offering up a new kind of inspiration. Choose JOY. I love it, knowing it's a choice. Ashley is fighting the big battle, the cancer battle and she chooses JOY amidst all the struggle and the pain. Amazing! We are granted this one life, I'm in awe of how she makes hers count and it inspires me as I reflect on my own.

Hundreds of fellow designers have jumped in to help raise money for the medical bills that come with the territory. What a blessing to give back to someone who gives so much and to ease their burden. I took a look at all of the items available for bid and there is some AMAZING stuff. Many vendors I've seen and so many new ones I've found. Take a moment, register with the Hyena cart and go bid! All auctions go live this evening, Monday the 27th at 8PM. We have donated one of our new Sunshine Knot dresses in the size of your choice.


The items up for auction can all be found HERE.


If you haven't seen the necklace created with Ashley's phrase, "Choose JOY" well you need to. They sell out fast but more are coming. I'm waiting to catch one before they are sold out.

Fredericksburg...a gem in the Texas Hill Country

I have been meaning to do a post on my little weekend getaway to Fredericksburg for quite some time but I had so many pics it has taken me a while to get organized! This is such a fantastic little town I thought it was worthy to share some of my highlights. Live in the central Texas Hill Country? If so, Fredericksburg is a must visit! Go without plans and you can easily fill in your time just by exploring the town and seeing how things unfold or if you like to have things on your radar, read along, I'll share some of my faves and there are many websites that can give you some ideas.

Click on any photo if you'd like to see it enlarged and enjoy!


If you happen to plan your visit on the 3rd weekend of the month then I have to insist you stop here! Yippee!!!!! my blood pressure immediately went up as we passed through the gates of Trade Days.


Trade Days takes place each month and is on several acres of land. 6 barns are filled with antiques, collectibles, old things, new things made to look old, repurposed things, foods, crafts....well this list goes on and it's entirely my love language. In addition to the barns, the outside area is filled with temporary booths, RV's turned storefront, and little homes that are situated throughout the area where dealers have all brought their wares.


This caught my eye although it didn't come home with me. A reclaimed portion of a door. I loved the big handle and was seeing this on our lakehouse back porch. Loved the rustic feel but this beauty stayed there. Pacing myself, it was early in the day.


Wow, look at all this architectural salvage. Anyone who knows me knows I love the concept of creating art out of old window frames. Here you will find just about any size and condition a person could want.


Oh how I love a sweet little church pew. I actually already have one but this one was definitely talking to me. It was talking to me at the same time my husband was talking and saying, "We already own one!"


booth upon booth with dealers selling the things they love.


This dealer was a fave of mine. What luck that they permanently reside just outside of Austin so I can go see them anytime I like. If you have some time, I highly suggest making a trek up to Georgetown to check out the store. The store is called Blends. They are in an old house where there is a vintage truck out front and fencing made from old bikes. Diane the owner is as charming as can be and her husband is muy talented at restoring furniture and giving it a fresh spin. Pure eye candy when you walk in their store.


More from the Blends booth.


Every now and then I'd lose track of the hubs. No worries if you drag hubby there, there is live music out in the food pavillion and he can enjoy a little Willie Nelson or just checkout the blacksmith and see what he's got going on. When lace and old furniture begin to bore them, there are escape paths for them.


oh yes, these needed to come home with me and they were selling like hotcakes. Reclaimed moldings from torn down homes turned into picture frames, yes please!


Several of the next pics are just some of the booths. You can see what seems to be hot in collectibles.








Old gym locker baskets seemed to be trendy. Who knew! What used to store sweaty gym clothes turned beautiful accessory in todays home!




Beautiful vintage sink....sigh :)


Adored this painted sign from some reclaimed wood.


An old cream can from France. This spoke to me and said take me home. I obeyed, it's sitting next to my church pew in my house!


Then we happened upon this precious older man standing at a booth that you'd normally find his wife at but she was home sick. He was eating chile out of his crock pot and about the sweetest thing ever. That's the thing about people at markets like this, they are truly salt of the earth. The kindest bunch you'll ever meet! He had some reclaimed doors stacked in back and my eye went straight to them and this one is now mine. I haven't done this project yet but this will be a headboard one day! Needs to be cleaned up and painted a bit and then I can't wait to see it in place. I've been obsessed with old doors and projects to create with them. Saw this project on Pinterest and that's what we're shooting for.


Wow, this little barbeque joint is a MUST visit. I love a good meal and love barbeque but even now, I'm thinking about this little hole in the wall! They are only open for lunch and they feed a packed house! On the outside would you give this spot a second glance? Nope, probably not but I assure you it is worth stopping for lunch. I'd call it a hole in the wall serving some of the best barbeque around.


I'm not even one to take pics of my food but clearly this time I did. That brisket was amazing. I like brisket lean and often times it means it's a bit dry. I can spot fat and gristle in my food a mile away and it turns me off. Well, whatever they do, I wish I could replicate it at home. The perfect plate of moist, no fat to be seen brisket. The sides are unlimited so if you subscribe to the notion in life you want the biggest bang for the buck. Well, you can eat beans, coleslaw, potato salad and banana pudding to your hearts content. Enjoy!


The towns Main Street is as charming as they come. After lunch that's where we head.


Shops galore but bring your wallet lined with cash. Prices jump considerably from Trade Days prices. ouch!


I am drawn to farmhouse style antiques but on Main Street you will also find dealers specializing in Old European antiques...expensive ones!(note, they do not like you walking in with a camera!)


At about this point my hubby found an outdoor patio with football games on and they were serving beer. He excused himself while I continued my trek!
I ventured off of main street and found one of THE most beautiful stores ever called Spice. The owner is a delight, welcomed me taking photos and she had such a wonderful arrangement of pieces. Prices were very reasonable and you are bound to find things that will certainly add some warmth to your home. She has transformed an old home into her antiques and collectibles store. Plenty of old mixed with a bit of new which is the fresh approach I'm drawn too. Each room has a distinct feel whether it's turquoise, neutrals, kitchen things etc.


Look at these adorable metal rose knobs. love these! oh and let's not forget that silver tray. I grabbed 2 of them from this store. They are such simple ways to ground some pieces you have on display in a group or one of them I put on the backside of one of my bookshelves because it just needed a bit of shine and umpf. Yes, extra umpf made perfect. Silver trays = goodness.




These brightly lit rooms cheer me up to walk in. Did I need cheering up? No but it just elevated the day!



A sweet painted mirror. Oh how I wish my girls embraced this look and would let me put these pieces in their rooms.




For the love of burlap! The owner Tonya is in this pic but she's hidden behind that chair. Darnit, wish you could see how adorable she is on top of friendly.
But what I do see is the little old piano stool that I bought. See it there on the right just right of the table? It's adorable with it's round seat and adjustable height. Who needs ordinary pieces or accent tables holding decor or plants when you can have a cute piano stool doing the job.


After that I headed over to the Red Baron Antique Mall. Booth upon booth of collectibles. I always enjoy seeing what people stock their booths with and sometimes I get a good chuckle at what people have saved over the years or found to sell.


Hello shabby old ladder. SOLD to moi. If you follow me on Pinterest, you know I have a thing for old ladders too! This is one of my favorite ladder inspiration pins.


Feed sacks, love but spendy so these stayed there.


Shabby Goodness


Speechless, just loved stopping and staring!


I love old carrier boxes. Perfect excuse to collect something new and fill them!


Old baskets...I wonder where all in the world you've been.


I did end up grabbing this beauty at the antique mall in addition to my ladder. They proudly informed me this scale can still accurately weigh things. That is of little concern to me! It was beautiful, the right color and I knew just where in my kitchen it was going to go where it'd never weigh a thing!




This is the one thing that made me snicker. Really, are little troll dolls collectible? Maybe his blinged belly button makes him rare. I guess to each his own but this 4 inch high doll with a price tag of $15 stayed on the shelf with all the other troll dolls being sold by this dealer but it did make me laugh. To each his own.


This is another store I made it into. A young gal, mid 20's I guess owns it and is a sweetheart. Just a small charming store where I knew I was going to buy something just to support this eager young dealer. What a pleasure meeting so many people who share the love of old things that have a story.


We ended our day at this restaurant on Main Street. The atmosphere feels like a European bistro. We both had fish dinners and they were delish. My only other recommendation that I must throw in even though I don't have a photo was our dinner from the night prior. Hop in your car and have dinner at the Cabernet Grill. Oh was it amazing. I had a filet kabob and the hubs had buffalo enchiladas and we walked out stuffed leaving no leftovers. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

So that about sums up our Fredericksburg trip. We went in January, it's considered a slower month because of weather but we lucked out with high 60's and sunshine! I will make it back soon. I'm eager to be back at Trade Days to see all the dealers who don't come out for the month of January as they are getting a little R&R from the busy holiday season! That's the thing with this sort of shopping, you never know what treasures will be there so a revisit will always be in the works.