Assortment

Funnies on Sunday!

 

Nest this House: Found and ... Not

 

In the foreground, some fun lately-thrifted finds!

In the background?   A decision-making process all over the wall.

Oh, that decision-making process!  Am I the only one who feels like it's taking for ever?  Why is it easier for me to choose paint colors for someone (anyone) else, but for my own house, I flap about like a loose sail in a stiff wind?  Is it because I can't find the color that's in my head, or is it something else entirely?

Is there a mental flaw somewhere? 

A severe handicap? 

A manifest disability?

Actually...let's not consider these possibilities too carefully, 'kay?

Let's just think about the good news,'kay?

The good news that Sherwin Williams will mix $5 paint samples!

And the other good news, which is always steadfast in this jostling mind of mine...  

  

 

Thrifting! 

Thrifting, plain and simple.

(At least something is!)

Caddy

 

I hear that February is Celebrate the Boy month.  (Found via Sew Liberated)  How fun is that?  I have to say, these boys are certainly worth celebrating!  

Speaking of celebrating, we're going to be doing just that with a little fella this weekend, who's just turning one, and when I saw this idea for a car caddy the other day, bing! I knew what we were going to give our little friend.  

In typical Carmella fashion, I took the great original pattern, then changed it up a bit.  How about a little embroidery?  A little applique?  Some twill tape ties? 

Yes!

Untied and unfolded, the caddy shows a little hint of what may be inside. 

The car sketch was done by one of my handy in-house artists.  My, how nice it is to say, "Buddy, could you sketch this car for me?" as you hand him a Hotwheels, and Ta-Da, in just a couple minutes, there it is!

 

Lift the caddy flap to find an assortment of cars and a road to drive them on!
 
Just the thing to keep chubby, dimpled one-year-old boy hands busy!

Today, I Love...

Two things:

 

Bending branch, beaming boys, back and forth, up and down.

Bed, bedding, boy bodies, books (for those who can keep their eyes open).

Can every day have room enough for these two things?
 

With Glowing Hearts - 2

Anchoring the Olympic Village, the old log chapel sat deep in winter's snow.  Scattered among the trees, cabins waited with wood fires for warmth and bunks for nestling chattering kids and exhausted adults. 

 

   

In the open space of the lodge, you could hear years of a thousand voices by looking to the ceiling, walls, and floor.

Just the place for learning, thinking, and journaling. 

And behind the red kitchen door?

Look:

 

Much of everything.  For the many who would need plates-ful of everything.

And for the cleaning up of all the everything?  Lots of sinks, lots of steam, and lots of hands in baggy rubber gloves.

  
 

Then, it was time.  All the events had happened, all the tummies were filled, all the bodies were warm.  It was time to celebrate!

Gold, silver, bronze.  As a sense of accomplishment was draped around each neck, a smile sprung across each face.

 

They are Olympians!

 

With Glowing Hearts

 

 

While the world's eyes were focused on Vancouver, somewhere in the Wyoming high country another sort of Winter Games was taking place...

 

 

 

 

Opening Ceremonies, the Lighting of the Torch, Parade of Nations, cross-country, slalom, curling, obstacle course, snow-shoeing, sledding, downhill.

These little athletes did it all.

With glowing hearts.

Funnies on Sunday!

 

 

Nest This House: The Bed, Untied

 

Mornings are beautiful.  They are quiet and inspiring.  Nurturing, even.  Oh, I'm a morning girl, I am.  Such a morning girl. 

But, I have to say, the most luscious time of day for me is the moment my toes skim between the cool, velvety-soft cotton sheets at bedtime.  Ahhh!  Fluffy pillows all around, muffled boy voices down the hall, and a warm husband by my side.  It is one of life's simple pleasures.  Really, it is, and I find myself looking forward to that moment as each evening moves along. 

Not too many days ago, as I was making the bed with freshly laundered sheets, instead of leaving it all made-up and perfect, I turned it down.  A made, yet unmade bed.  A loosened bed.

And, there, just like that, our bed became a present, wrapped up and pretty, yet slightly undone, like a gift with the bow untied, as if it were anticipating bedtime, too.  Our bed - crisp, soft, warm, loosened, untied. 

Makes one feel just a wee bit spoiled!

Peasant Food: Hamburger Cabbage Soup

Somehow, she could make something out of nothing, my Grandma.  She wasn't a fancy cook.  She never had fancy ingredients.  In fact, fresh garlic might have been as gourmet as she got.  And I don't remember there being processed or refined food in her kitchen (except for the past-date Hostess goodies that were given to my grandparents by their friends, the Lees, who were the local Hostess distributors.  Oh, yes, and the commodity cheese.  Never one to waste what was given to her, Grandma did use her commodity cheese.)  Her food was fresh in season, or home-canned out of season.  But mostly, it was pure food, simple food, basic.

Like her Hamburger Cabbage Soup.  I wish I knew what else to call it, because that name doesn't seem all too inspiring, but that's how we've always known it, so I'm at a loss for something else.  My memory of eating this soup for the first time is safely couched in that place in my mind reserved for pleasant, comforting thoughts.  Worn and weary from over 2,000 miles of travel one day, I arrived to my grandma's warm hug and a bowl of this warm soup.  It was fresh.  It was basic.  It was simple. 

It was delicious.  

I've found that it fits neatly into a growing repertoire of food that I've been cooking these last few months, which I fondly refer to as Peasant Food.  Peasant Food is simple.  Peasant Food is fresh in summer, and canned goods and root-crops in winter.  Peasant Food is less at the grocery and more in the pot. 

Peasant Food is this soup.  And I can't wait any longer to share it with you.

 

Grandma's Hamburger Cabbage Soup

 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 head green cabbage, chopped

1-2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

4-6 quarts of water or stock

1-2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste

 

In an 8 qt. stockpot, warmed to medium-high heat, brown ground beef.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove beef from pot and drain.  Return pot to stove, reduce heat to medium-low, add olive oil, then garlic and onion.  Saute until translucent, 5-10 minutes.  Add ground beef back to pot along with potatoes and cabbage.  Fill pot with water or stock until level reaches about an inch above the other ingredients.  Increase heat to high and cover with lid until it comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and slow-simmer until potatoes and cabbage are near tender, about 1 hour.  Add tomatoes, and adjust seasonings.  Simmer until potatoes and cabbage are tender, tomatoes are warmed through, and the flavors have melded, 10-15 minutes more. 

Serve with warm, fresh bread.

Oh, yes, and this soup?  It's one of those that's good the first day, but even better the second!

 

Peasant Food!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Sketch

In case you were wondering, on this Wednesday morning... 

 

That boy is still drawing (and now painting) Bigfoot.  True love never dies.

And this boy? 

 

Still drawing birds.  True love...(you guessed it)...never dies.

The other boy?

 

Could be painting turtles, could be painting Mrs. Mole in her hole, or could be painting... a meerkat?

Yes, a meerkat.  To hang on his gallery wall by his bed.

His idea.  His splendid idea.