Artful Slice of Home

Kids in the Kitchen

2012-02-04T12:22:00.001-05:00

Hands down this is the best juicer. Kids will juice all day! No electricity necessary.

Three Wise Women

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

So true.

Baked Eggplant, Pasta and Franks

2012-01-15T10:23:00.000-05:00

Yes it has hot dogs because that's the only thing I had in the fridge. But this actually came out delicious. I used what I had on hand and made up the recipe so I will ballpark the measurements.

1/2 jar or 1 cup Spanish sofrito
1/2 box angel hair pasta
1/2 to 1 package hot dogs
3 Italian eggplants
4 cups vegetable or other broth
1 jar pasta sauce
3 cups grated cheddar and parmesan cheese mixed
1 fresh tomato sliced thin
1 mild green pepper (i.e. poblano or Spanics padron)

Preheat oven to 350.
Slice franks and saute in Spanish sofrito. You can make your own (recipe here) or buy it premade at the grocery in the Spanish/Mexican food section.

While franks are cooking, boil 1/2 box angel hair pasta in vegetable broth.
Peel strips from the eggplant with potato peeler and slice about 1/4 inch thick.
When pasta is cooked, drain and cut into 2 inch pieces.

In a casserole dish, spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sofrito or jar pasta sauce on the bottom. Layer eggplant on top of sauce. Layer cut pasta on top of eggplant. Pour some of the pasta sauce to cover. Layer cooked hot dogs. Add remaining jar pasta sauce to cover. Sprinkle grated parmesan and cheddar cheese. Finally, place sliced fresh tomato and sliced green pepper across the top.

Bake 30 minutes.

Super Simple Chocolate Croissants

2012-01-12T09:33:00.000-05:00

Super easy chocolate croissants using canned croissants and chocolate chips. I use whole wheat croissants. I bake these at night for a school morning breakfast. You could also use other fillings such as cheese or fruit.
Separate each croissant and place a few chocolate chips in the center toward the wider end. Roll up the croissant wide end toward narrow and place on a baking sheet point down. Add a few chocolate chips on the top.

Bake according to directions on can.

Delicious Salad

2012-01-01T17:44:00.000-05:00

Hands down one of the best salads I have ever eaten-and I've eaten my share of salads. It doesn't look like much until you taste it. It's the dressing that does it. At the Columbia Restaurant in Sarasota they make it fresh at the table. Order it with the half Cuban sandwich-delicious!

"1905" Salad Columbia Restaurant Recipe

Salad Ingredients
1 head iceberg lettuce
2 ripe tomatoes, cut in eighths 1 cup Swiss cheese, cut in julienne strips 1 cup ham, cut in julienne strips (or turkey or shrimp)
1 cup green Spanish olives, pitted
2 teaspoons grated Romano cheese

Salad Dressing Ingredients
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Preparation
Toss together all salad ingredients in a bowl, except Romano Cheese.

Mix garlic, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Beat until smooth with a wire whisk. Add olive oil, gradually beating to form an emulsion. Stir in vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Add dressing to salad and toss well. Add Romano Cheese and toss one more time. Serves 4.

Organizing Kids Rooms

2012-01-01T15:23:00.000-05:00

My kids tell me they don't know "how" to clean their rooms because they don't know where things go. Which is absurd since I have set up their rooms so that everything has a place and at their eye level. I decided to go a step further and eliminate any excuses rather than continue with the ridiculous conversations that go something like this:
Me: You know where it goes because you got it from there! Kid: I don't remember where I got it from! It's too hard! etc. etc.

First I changed my request (screaming) from "go clean-up/pick-up your room!" to "You're really good at organizing - go organize your room so you can play with your toys!" and other phrases like this.

Next, I took pictures of the contents of each container, bin, drawer, etc. that holds toys and other items. I resized each photo so they were all the same size, printed them out on paper, and cut each one out. I used 3M photo laminating paper to make a label from each photo.

Finally, I taped the labels to each container. My daughter actually wanted to help make the labels and tape them on the containers when she saw what I was doing. Teach them young I say!

So, we'll see how it goes . . .

take photos and cut out

Lego bin label

Play-doh bin label

Bins with photo labels

Snowman Craft

2011-12-15T12:19:00.001-05:00

Snowman with a sequined hat.

I have to make a craft with my son's class tomorrow. There are 18 kids. He specifically requested a snowman made from styrofoam balls so I googled around and found some cute ideas (pinned here) and finally came up with this. I used a mini cupcake paper to glue to the bottom. I realized that I should NOT have use red glitter glue to attach the hat because he looks like he's bleeding! Tomorrow I'll use silver. Trial and error . . .

Snowman with a pointy hat. Note to self: don't use red glue.

Styrofoam balls and long craft sticks. Use round sticks not popsicle sticks.

Pom poms and sequins for the eyes, nose, buttons, and hat. These are the small, short popsicle sticks to use for the arms. Break one in half for 2 arms.

Precut hats - top hats and pointy hats

Precut scarves

Inspiration

2011-12-10T12:23:00.001-05:00

I've had this around for a long time. Probably the best qoute(s) I've ever seen. Thank you Coastal Nest!!

If you do nothing else, you must.....Have a say fight fair * you gotta believe * phone home * take a stand * shoot for the moon * do wheelies * live free or die * go where no one has gone before * vive la difference * keep a light on * there's no place like home * pursue happiness * pioneer * get smart * leave a key under the mat * have a dream * do it all for love * pull your weight * give back * root for the underdog * raise hope * jump at the chance * invite the neighbors over * belong to a nutty and extraordinary family * have vast pride * be thankful

Why Kids Have to Eat Junk!

2011-09-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

This is something that has bothered me since my son was a baby. I've been dealing with it for so many years now that I think I just put it out of my mind so as not to be constantly furious
.
Today while browsing my new Family Fun magazine, I read about a California Mom who made homemade cookies for her child's preschool class. Yes, HOMEMADE.
Here in the sunny state of Florida, schools do NOT allow homemade food to be brought in for class snacks. At all. Every day I send my children off to school where they are offered some type of processed, sugary, fake, packaged food in the classroom. Every Day. And if you even ask about having guidelines for snacks you are considered the "problem" parent. I have been told that it would be too much of an inconvenience to ask parents to only send healthy snacks for the class. But it's o.k. to ask me to allow my child to eat it every day.

It has finally pissed me off enough to sit down and write about it.   Something is seriously wrong when children are not allowed to eat food that has been made with whole food ingredients, without food coloring and added pounds of sugar or artificial sweetener, and chemical preservatives. Yet, they are REQUIRED to eat packaged food. Food MUST come pre-packaged in Florida.

Why?
Because snacks are distributed for the entire class (everyone has to be equal -don't forget).  And if I make food at home that is healthy for the kids to eat during snack time, I may have accidentally dropped something in it. Or, I may a have secretly put peanuts in it endangering another student who has allergies. While on the surface these seem like logical reasons, if you really think about it, it's nuts (no pun intended).

So, rather than risk the extreme million to one chance my child might bite into a random item dropped in their food, I am expected to be o.k. with him eating carcinogens, preservatives, excessive sugar, food coloring, aspartame, and who knows what else. All in the name of "safety." Go figure.

When my kids were young I was able to get by with sending their own separate snack.   Never mind that I was the "freaky" parent that didn't allow her kid to eat the fake food that was standard for all toddlers.   My kids were still too little to realize they weren't eating crap. But, all too quickly, they realized everyone else was eating red, green, and blue crackers that look like fish!

I could only maintain control for so long.   Finally, they became aware that they had a snack that was "different." I once had a teacher tell me that my child wasn't eating his lunch and I should send something else because he really didn't like it. Especially since the two kids next to him were having McDonald's for their lunch, complete with awesome toys and a cool box.   He had been fine with his lunch until then.

Yes, yes, I know people will say I can always put my children somewhere else. And, in fact, I did just that when we lived in a large city that had other options.  My son attended a preschool where fruit was the only snack eaten and there was a list of so-called "food" that wasn't allowed in lunch boxes. Along with the fact that it's just plain unhealthy, these smart teachers realized how additives and processed foods drastically affect children's behavior.

Problems with behavior, extreme obesity and disease are rampant in our country. Take a look at what your kids are being fed, people. Jamie Oliver Rock On!

Just had to vent.

Sequin Mirror

2011-09-03T10:07:00.000-04:00

This mirror had an ugly dated brass frame. With a little hot glue and 2 bags of sequins I came up with this! It was a tedious process but I love the way it came out.

Kids' Keepsake Photo

2011-08-11T08:39:00.000-04:00

We live at the beach so I came up with the idea to take a photo of my kids' feet in the sand each year. This is the photo for this year. If you don't live at the beach you could take a picture in a sandbox or spell out the year with rocks or some other item.

Art and Craft for Kids

2011-05-14T13:26:00.000-04:00

Glitter Glue Starfish

Just posting a link to my blog Ruby Slippers Art where I post photos from Art Camps and other art work. The kids made some fantastic art so I wanted to share!

My next project . . . I'm dying to make the hanging fish mobile my wonderfully creative friend Julie made from Magnolia leaves and sequins! It's fantastic!

2011-05-09T04:00:00.000-04:00

We went to Whitney Beach on Longboat Key hunting for sand dollars. My girlfriend Amy (seashell/sharktooth hunter extroadinaire) told me this was a good beach to find them. We found one intact right as we walked down to the water and later a bit of a broken one but, unfortunately, that was it. I think we needed to go further out in the water and also "put in the hours" as Amy phrases it.

We did find this pretty shell completely unbroken.

Later we went into Bradenton Beach to get slurpees. LOVE Joe's Eats & Sweets ice cream shop painted bright beachy colors!!!

Mother's Day Gifts

2011-05-08T09:43:00.000-04:00

My wonderful kids made me these fabulous cards for Mother's Day!

My son made a card with an acrostic poem using my name.

My daughter made a portrait of me "in tie-dye"

Door Decor

2011-05-08T07:55:00.001-04:00

I was out a few weeks ago in funky Burns Court and saw the cutest shop-door decoration. It was made from canvas cut into triangles and hung in an upside down pattern and embellished with feathers and glitter (love it!). I came straight home and tried to figure out how to make my own.

I remembered I had a made a painted floorcloth a while ago and decided to use that since it would stand up to being outside. As much as I wanted the glitter and feathers I don't think they would last long outside at my house.

I needed to make two door-hangers as I have double doors. For each door hanger, I measured and cut 3 triangles from the floor canvas. I hot-glued two of them side by side to a piece of wood ( slat from a broken bi-fold closet door). I glued the 3rd triangle in between them at the bottom.

I added a starfish to the center top, and strung small plastic pearl strings to hang them. I really wanted to use raffia to hang them and add as trim but I just didn't have any around the house. I plan to add it later and do some more embellishing. But for now it's a fun, beachy welcome to our house in sunny Florida.

Peppermint Birthday Party

2011-05-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

We decided to have a Peppermint Party for my daughter's 5th birthday. It's just before Christmas so I thought this would be cute and very simple. I used the Curlz font to print the information then traced it onto the black and white invitations printed on cardstock. Then I colored in different bits with pink and blue markers. Lastly, I added a pink candy cane with a silver tinsel pipe-cleaner.

For treats we dipped marshmallows in melted chocolate then dipped them in crushed peppermint and placed them in mini-muffin papers.

We also made mini peppermint cupcakes topped with vanilla frosting mixed with more crushed peppermint.

Guests made candy canes from pipe-cleaners and beads to take home. Very simple but very fun!

Pony Tails and Hair Bows Please!

2011-04-26T13:09:00.000-04:00

This is a repost of something I made last year.

I'm entering this project in Get Your Craft On at Todays Creative Blog - Fabulous Crafts and Projects!

So after scouring stores today with Ruby looking for anything to hold up her hair I finally decided I'd make my own. At least when it gets lost I can make another one.

I figure I can find something in this pile . . .

And here's what I came up with. I took an aqua hair band and tied small pom-pom fringe and organza ribbon all the way around it. Next I put a thin line of non-fraying liquid on the ends (clear nail polish works too).

And the real test . . .

Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa

2010-12-02T11:39:00.001-05:00

I've been dying to get to the Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa. I found out they have free admission on Tuesdays courtesy of Target. The next free admission date is December 7 between 4 and 8 p.m. I think we will make the trip this month . . .check the link for all the details. http://glazermuseum.org/

Holiday Art

2010-12-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

Last week I had another Art Camp focusing on Holiday Art. The kids decorated their bags to carry home their artwork and made collage wreaths and snowflake paintings. There was also lots of coloring, playing and snacking as well. To see all the photos from Art Camp go to my flickr page.

Doily Stencil Snowflakes

Collage Wreath

Chalk Masterpiece

Painted Take-Home Bags

Another Great Place for the Family -Ritz Carlton on Lido Key

2010-11-29T11:07:00.001-05:00

Another fantastic place for the whole family in Sarasota, Florida. The Tiki Hut in front of the Ritz Carlton Beach Club on Lido Key. We went on Thanksgiving day and it was beautiful. Sitting at tables in the sand, in front of a huge fire pit, watching the sunset and having food and drinks served to us while the kids played on the beach! This is why we live here!

Walkway to Tiki Hut

Thirsty!

Paradise

Sunset on Lido Key

O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill in Sarasota . . .Love Where I Live

2010-11-22T03:00:00.016-05:00

Just had to post this picture I took of the view from O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill in Sarasota. We come here often. It's a great place for the kids to play by the water and the grown ups can relax and have something to eat. There's usually live music as well. Very festive. It's a little vacation right down the street!

View from my table . . . who wouldn't come here?

Painted Flower Pots

2010-11-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

At one of my Art Camps we painted flower pots and they turned out beautiful. I primed the terra cotta pots with white paint so the colors would be bright. The girls used acrylic craft paint, glitter glue, and sparkly confetti to decorate them. I sealed them with clear polyurethane. So cute!

Getting started. Notice a theme with the color they all chose . . .

Hard at work

Finished pots ready to take home!

Reading Day at The Children's Garden in Sarasota

2010-11-19T06:33:00.000-05:00

Saturday, November 20th, we'll be going to Reading Day at The Children's Garden in Sarasota. This is a great event and a chance to visit the gardens for free. I was recently at a Birthday Party there and was reminded of how fantastic it is! Check it out at: http://www.sarasotachildrensgarden.com/

Dancing on the Stage

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-25T21:00:00.001-04:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch at Fruitville Groves in Sarasota, Florida with my daughter's preschool. They have fresh local produce, a hayride, peacocks walking around, and goats the kids could feed. Each child took home a mini pumkin.

Color Mixing "Butterflies"

2010-10-24T09:07:00.000-04:00

Here's a simple project with big results to teach colors. Take a sheet of paper and fold it in half. On each side put a different color of paint. Be sure to put the paint on thickly in "blobs" rather than painting it thinly all over. Fold the paper and press down firmly and rub all over. When the paper is opened there will be beautiful "butterflies" of a third color. I drew antennae on the butterflies and wrote the "new" color name at the bottom. I've done this with a range of ages and it's always a big hit. Kids will make these over and over. They can't wait to open the paper and see what their butterflies look like!

Fun Hair for Halloween!

2010-10-11T04:29:00.020-04:00

Here's an idea I had to dress up the girls' hair at my Girly Art Camp. They loved it! I gathered items I wanted to use on a tray -pipe cleaners, curly ribbon bows, and plastic flowers. I twisted the pipe cleaners into corkscrews with a pencil and cut the flower stems to about 3 or 4 inches.

Put hair up in pony tails. Add the ribbons, twist in the pipe cleaners, and stick in the flowers. Fancy Hair!

This would be great for a princess costume using shiny pink and gold ribbons and pipe cleaners. For an alien use all silver and lime green colors and hot glue large google eyes to the ends of the pipe cleaners. For fairy hair add small butterfly wings and tie in strips of shiny tulle.

Monoprints Kids' Art

2010-10-10T09:29:00.000-04:00

I hosted several Kids' Art Camps this summer and compiled a bunch of photos! We made some great art! The monoprints below were so simple to make and came out beautiful. I still have some hanging in my house. The kids loved making these. Instant gratification! I posted the instructions below.

Paint your image very thickly on a cookie sheet.
Then mark lines through it using the end of the paintbrush -see the lines in the tree trunk?

Press paper on the baking sheet, rub firmly and peel off. Voila!

Flower Monoprint

Tie-Dye Cheer Shirt

2010-09-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

My 4 year old goes to Stage Door Preschool of the Arts in Sarasota, Florida. It's an amazing preschool with 2 wonderful ladies that are the owners, directors, and teachers. We decided to make a spirit shirt for her to wear to her cheerleading class at school. I also wanted her to be able to wear it to big brother's flag football games so she would feel more "included." She picked out the ribbon for the sleeves and I tossed the shirt in the tie-dye wash with my son's sheets (see earlier post). We ironed on some glittery pink letters and voila!

Headboard to Die For

2010-09-27T12:22:00.002-04:00

I just happened across this site http://furniturereincarnated.blogspot.com/ and what fantastic photos! I gasped when I saw this headboard. I wonder how long it would take me (my Mom) to do this? Amazing.

Fabric Shopping in Atlanta - oh how I miss it!

2010-09-27T12:19:00.000-04:00

When I first moved to Sarasota from Atlanta I kept asking people where I could find upholstery and decorater fabric- you know, like where the decorators go? I usually got a blank stare or "Jo-Ann's" as an answer. While I'm not knocking Jo-Ann Fabrics . . . I was used to rows and rows of Mexican oilcloth, toile in every color and theme, fabric grouped by polka dots, plaids, paisley prints, outdoors, and on and on. But the real drool factors were the entire rooms devoted to tassels, piping, pom-poms, and any other kind of trim imaginable.

I do love it here in beautiful Sarasota, but sometimes I really really miss having access to fabulous things. I so took for granted being able to browse and get inspired at Forsyth Fabrics or Lewis & Sheron. Fabric so beautiful it could be framed! sigh . . .

Forsyth Fabrics -Now this is a fabric store

Kids Room

2010-09-27T11:43:00.000-04:00

We moved into our new house Labor Day weekend and I've been trying to get it together. I've been working on the kids' rooms first so they can have somewhere to hang out while I work on everything else. My son requested a "Space" room and tie-dye sheets. Here's what I did so far

Background

Space Mural

Tie-Dye Sheets

He also got a new dresser that was low enough for him to be able to see inside. I just redid the drawer fronts. He's a boy so it really helps to have everything identified.

Cute stuff for School

2010-08-28T23:12:00.000-04:00

I have been super pumped about getting my kids organized for school. Probably because it secretly forces me to get organized as well. My 7 year old started a new school this week and my youngest started Pre-K. I was up till 1:00 a.m. the night before the first day putting together all the supplies, bookbags, lunch boxes and labeling, labeling, labeling. I wore out a Sharpie which is not easy.

When I found out that my son had to have every school supply, including 2 boxes of pencils, individually labeled I decided to go all out and make Cathe Holden's pencil labels. I used some phrases from her and some of my own.

I also made new labels for my little one to identify her bookbag and lunch box. I downloaded these from Living Locurto. I had already made her some ID tags so I plan to use these when the old ones get torn apart (by the looks of them after one week that won't be long.)

First Week of School and all that stuff

2010-08-25T11:50:00.001-04:00

School has started and my taxi service is up and running. My daughter has to bring in a picture of herself doing something she "loves" and this is what we got. When I asked her what she was going to do she stated "dress up." But it looks more like she loves being Catwoman to me.

Beachy Afternoon

2010-08-21T09:34:00.000-04:00

So I'm finally blogging again. We've been in such transition since February - moving temporarily while waiting for our new house to close. Now we're moving again to our new home in 2 weeks and I can't wait. I finally feel some order in the chaos. Meanwhile, school starts here tomorrow for my two little ones so it's time to get organized and start packing.
We went to the beach yesterday as sort of a "last time before school" and had a picnic (fried chicken and fruit salad- yummy). But seriously it's so hot here that we go to the beach almost year round. The kids were wiped out and slept like rocks - which was the GOAL.

Just what it says . . .

Sandcastles

Digging for Shark Teeth at Venice Beach, Florida

I'm thinking of what to do to celebrate back to school . . . something special for when they get home that first day.

Valentine's Day Crafts and Goodies

2010-02-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

I am completely exhausted from all the Valentine festivities this past week. But it was so much fun! Here's a few photos from my preschool class and from home. Off to Circus Sarasota today!

Breakfast!

My son's Valentine Mailbox

Chocolate lollipops to hand out to classmates

Valentine goodie bags for my preschool class

Preschool Classroom

2010-02-09T14:01:00.000-05:00

I just took a teaching job at my daughter's preschool. I'm in charge of a classroom of 3 year-olds and I've been working non-stop on the classroom and activities to do with the kids. I can't seem to ever finish as I'm constantly coming up with new ideas I want to implement. I also haven't been able to blog as much and I'm missing it!

I've been in the class for 3 weeks so far. My first week we learned about Dinosaurs and the kids made a dinosaur habitat with a volcano and dinosaurs made from shapes.

Here's a few pics of my room (well so far anyway). I've got lots more to do!

Making Valentines

2010-02-07T21:25:00.001-05:00

Today was craft central at our house. Valentine week has officially started and I'm up to my ears in glitter and hearts. Let's see . . . my daughter's class Valentines to make, my son's class valentines to make, and my preschool class valentines to make. And did I mention I'm Room Mom for my son's class? So I'll be throwing his class party this week as well as my own classroom's party. But really I do love doing it all. My kids and I are making chocolate lollipops later this week and I'll post those photos. They're super cute! Here's what we made today.

Seahorse Pillows

2010-02-07T20:55:00.000-05:00

Just picked these up at Marshalls. SO fun and beachy! I'm trying diligently to refrain from buying things for the new house until we actually move - but it's pure torture.

Why I love Florida in the winter

2010-01-31T10:06:00.003-05:00

Every year I can't wait until December and Jauary when the many fruit trees in my yard become full and heavy with fruit. And it doesn't hurt that my kids love citrus fruit. These are some of the trees in my yard - grapefruit, Valencia orange, and tangerine.

We have the best time picking, eating, and juicing the fruit. My husband, being from Istanbul, had grown up buying fresh squeezed juice from street vendors using a hand juicer. So for Christmas one year I got him this.

This juicer has gotten a LOT of use. I've taken it to many classrooms in the past few years and they all can't wait to get a turn at pushing down the handle and seeing the juice come out. So much more gratifying than those electric things. I'll be taking the juicer into my preschool classroom when we do our nutrition week so they can juice some oranges!

One time we found an orange with a "smiley face" on it. It was entertainment for days.

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Habitat for Humanity Clearance Center - Heaven for furniture scavengers!

2010-01-24T12:15:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I went to one of my favorite "go-to" places when I want a furniture project - the Habitat for Humanity Clearance Center. It's only open Friday and Saturday and people arrive early to be first inside. The good stuff goes fast!

This place is fantastic if you're a DIY furniture junky. We will be moving to our new house in a month and I needed something for the entryway. I was so happy when I saw this solid wood cabinet! And I was even happier when I saw the price tag - only $15! Our new house is in an old Florida neighborhood of mid-century homes so this piece will fit perfectly. I'm going to get sanding, priming, and painting. I'm planning to go with a rich aqua/teal paint color!

Hand Painted China Hutch

2010-01-16T13:56:00.000-05:00

So here's what I'm working on . . . again. This little hutch has been a work in progress for several months. I've discovered that my creativity comes in outbursts - periods of no motivation followed by crazy, frenzied activity for several days at a time. I've learned to just go with it. This is how it looks at the moment . . . but by no means is it finished!

Clutter, Clutter Everywhere or. . . Feng Shui Rocks!

2010-01-09T10:07:00.004-05:00

Every year after Christmas and New Year celebrations are over I get a surge of new energy. Energy to get rid of junk, energy to exercise, and energy to start new habits (and get rid of old). One of my strongest feelings about my home is the practice of space clearing . . . or, getting rid of junk. And by junk I mean anything that is not necessary, not wanted, in the way, causes me angst when I see it, or doesn't have a place to go in my home. You know, those things that you move from room to room because they don't have a home? I will admit I have thrown out things that my family (well, really just my husband) was not happy about.
I never realized how much my home environment affected me. I had never even thought about it until several years ago when we decided to sell our house in Atlanta. I knew enough to put some things in storage to make the house seem larger, but wanted to read up on staging my home to sell it. I was at Barnes and Noble looking through the Home section when I happened to pick up this book:

6 years later I still refer to this book which quite literally changed my life. Seriously. As I started to read through it so many things rang true about holding on to material things. Things that cause anxiety and stress and get in the way. It was as if someone had given me permission to get rid of all the stuff that I felt I couldn't throw out. (I don't want to blame my Mom here but we grew up thinking you never ever throw things away that might be useful). I had been lugging around old cardboard boxes full of letters, dried flowers, pictures and mementos from my high school, including from my boyfriend who caused me 3 years of emotional turmoil! Not to mention all the furniture that had been handed down to me over the years and I felt I couldn't get rid of, even when it was not functional for my home. How many people have furniture that doesn't work for their space but they can't get rid of it? So when I read in the book that, according to Feng Shui, you should get rid of anything that doesn't work for you or causes you anxiety, I took it and ran with it. I tried to apply that practice to everything in my house. And that was just the beginning. By the end of the next two weeks my husband and I had made trip after trip to the local dump getting rid of piles of stuff from our home. It was the most liberating thing I had ever done.

When I think back I can't believe how much stuff was filling our space and lives. Over the last several years I have changed the way I think about my home and the effect it has on me and my family. I can see the instant change in my kids' behaviour and attitude when their rooms are organized and the house is in order. This is good to remember when kids start bouncing off the walls. We rarely think about order in their environment affecting behaviour. I have learned that when my brain feels like it has been in a blender I immediately clear the space in my home and I get instant clarity. It is actually miraculous how it works. Here's a little test to try. Granted, these are EXTREMES but it will prove my point. Look at the following pictures and pay close attention to how you feel both mentally and physically while looking at each one.

Did you feel the difference? Clutter is like visual noise. It creates chaos in your mind and tension in your body. Have you ever noticed that it's hard to think clearly in a cluttered or crowded space? You sometimes don't realize it is happening until you create order around you and suddenly your mood lifts and you can think clearly and positively. So, over the years I've given myself these rules to keep my home stress-free and organized:

1. Clear all surfaces FIRST. This is my number one rule! If I only have a few minutes to spend getting organized I have to clear all counters, tables, chairs, etc. completely free of items so that I can stay focused. It feels overwhelming sometimes but I've timed it (yes I have) and it takes me about 10 minutes to clear ALL surfaces in the living areas and kitchen. Try this and you'll be amazed. Along with this rule you have to follow #2:

2. Don't clear spaces one item at a time. So, if your coffee table is covered with items, remove it all at the same time, place into a basket and then put everything where it goes. Don't walk back and forth picking up each item. You'll lose your motivation very quickly.

3. Acknowledge things and places in your home that causes you stress. You know, the places you always avoid and vow to clean later. This is the true secret to jump-start major decluttering and to make it a habit. For example, in my house it is the pile of random items that are brought into the house and dropped on the entry table; the laundry room floor that gets piled with dirty towels; my studio/workspace that seems to become the "dumping ground" for all those things I don't want to deal with. I start with the stressful areas first and the rest of the house doesn't seem so overwhelming

4. If you don't have a place for something - throw it out. I know this sounds drastic, and obviously I don't mean your car keys. Create a place for something if you have to keep it. Get rid of it if you don't - I promise this gets easier and easier the more you do it. Once you get in this habit you'll wonder how you ever lived with all that stuff around you. Don't be afraid to throw something out!

5. I never keep anything on paper if I can find the same information online. I hate random papers with a passion. These are the worst clutter makers. I throw out junk mail outside before I come into my house. I don't keep anything on paper that can be found on the internet. If you start paying attention you'll be amazed at the amount of junk paper that makes its way into your home and clutters your tabletops.

6. Identify the areas in your house that you really use and make them functional. For example, in the past, all of my homes had a room designated as the "office". The computer, all paper work, and everything related to running the home was in that room. In reality, I never wanted to go in that room to do anything. I did all of my work in my kitchen and I would drag things back and forth from the "office" to the kitchen. So now I have my office set up in my kitchen where I know I will really be doing the work. I arranged a space so that it would be functional with the items I needed, and the unused "office" was switched to a playroom for the kids. Be aware of the spaces you really use and don't try to force yourself to use a space you don't like or that doesn't work for you.

Finally, if you have trouble with clutter don't feel overwhelmed. Don't feel you have to do everything at once. Pick one spot or area and just clear it out. It could be as small as the corner of your kitchen counter. Just clear it completely and you'll be energized. When you get rid of the old you make room for new things, people, and opportunities to enter your life. And, it gets easier and easier to get rid of things once you allow yourself to do it. Trust me - I'm addicted!

Suncatcher Tissue Leaves

2009-12-11T14:48:00.000-05:00

I made these "leaves" for window hanging with my son's 1st grade class. I'm thinking I'll make similar ones in ornament shapes for Christmas. They are super simple to make. Just place cut up tissue paper on one half of a sheet of clear contact paper (sticky side) and fold over the other half. I used a mixture of regular tissue paper and shiny celophane. Cut out the shape. Punch a hole and add string!

Like Mother Like Daughter

2009-12-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

I walked in my studio workspace yesterday and found my 3 year old playing "artist." My first instinct was to panic thinking she had actually opened my paints and was painting on something. Once I got over that I was so proud (hehe). I guess it's true what they say "like Mother like Daughter."

Good Ole' Chicken Soup

2009-12-03T14:59:00.000-05:00

I've been making different variations of this chicken soup for years. I made this one a few days ago when we had a little blast of "cool" weather (below 70 is cool down here). So yummy.

Saute a stalk of celery, 1 carrot, and 1/2 onion (because that's all I had), and about 1 cup of chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley in olive oil. I pulled this parsley from my garden but you can certainly use dried. If using dried, put in about 2 tablespoons. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and McCormick All Purpose Seasoning. (This is my secret weapon. I use it on everything.)

Three chicken breasts (bone-in gives the best flavor but use whatever you have), salted and seasoned with the All Purpose Seasoning. Brown the chicken breasts with the celery, carrot and onion. Add 2 boxes (32 0z. each) of chicken broth. I favor Pacific brand but use what you like. Bring it to a boil then reduce heat and cook on medium-ish until the chicken pulls off the bone easily. I usually cook mine for 1 1/2 hours or so. Oh, and add some more of that seasoning (yes really) and any more salt and pepper if necessary. Your house will be smelling really good at this point.

I don't have pictues of the next step, but pour the whole pot through a colander sitting over a large bowl or pitcher and strain the stock. Pour the stock back into the pan and bring to a boil. Add chopped carrots and let them cook for about 15 minutes. Then add half a bag of egg noodles - a cup of rice works well too. If you need to, add a little more liquid. Either more broth or some water.

Boil the noodles until they are tender then reduce heat to simmer. Add in the chicken (that you strained out earlier) pulled apart into bite size pieces. Eat and Enjoy! This is a basic recipe and I've mixed it up with things like canned tomatoes, hot sauce, vegetables for stew, and creole vegetables.

Chest with red flowers-Homegoods

2009-12-03T13:02:00.001-05:00

I saw this painted chest at Homegoods - love that store. I took some pictures thinking I would paint my old oak chest- of- drawers with a similar pattern to put in my entryway. In a perfect world I would set aside an entire day of sanding, priming, and painting with all my furniture projects neatly organized on dropcloths in my backyard. In reality I usually have a piece of furniture sitting in the yard half-painted for several days because I've run out of cans of spray paint and can't get to the store to buy more.

Oh well, it gets done eventually.

Christmas decorating . . . where do I begin!

2009-11-29T09:41:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving is over (whew) and as much as I look forward to it I'm always exhausted by the end of the weekend. Could it possibly be that my 3 & 7 year-olds are home 24/7, inviting family over to watch 3 different football games, and my nephews' birthday celebration are all crammed in a 3 day period?

Anyhoo . . .

I'm ready to get the Christmas decor out and start some crafting, cooking, painting, and panicking! My head is swimming with "to do's" and "to make's." Let's see. This morning I decided I would make a Christmas door mat similar to this floorcloth I made a while ago. I'm feeling really ambitious!

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

2009-11-26T09:45:00.008-05:00

I made this for Thanksgiving dessert. It is a truly awesome cake. Thanks so much to my old across-the-street neighbor and good friend C.!   Also known as Morningside Mom. Recipe follows below.   Enjoy!

                                One box Devil's Food cake mix

1 large box instant chocolate pudding (or 5 single packets if that's what dear hubby bought)

4 eggs

1 regular size container sour cream, 1/2 cup of water, 1 cup vegetable oil

1 bag chocolate chips

Stir

Lick spoon of course

Bake in a Bundt pan at 350 degrees-50 minutes to an hour (depending on your oven)

Decorate! I used powdered sugar for this one

Leaf Painting

2009-11-22T21:55:00.000-05:00

These giant leaves are from the beautiful Sea Grape trees around my patio. They are the coolest leaves. When they fall from the branches and subsequently dry they are like paper plates - at least my kids think so. I have looked at them for a while thinking they would be great for making some type of stamp or print. So yesterday I got the paints and brushes out and let the kids go for it. I'm thinking this would look cool on a piece of furniture as well . . .stay tuned.

Gather the leaves

some paint and brushes

Paint the leaves

Press the leaves on your surface

French Toast

2009-11-21T08:53:00.000-05:00

I made french toast with the kids - this is their favorite part when they can break the yolks and just stir up a big mess . . .yummy. We make a big batch and then I refrigerate the leftovers for school-morning breakfast. Just pop it in the toaster oven and it comes out great.

The Children's Garden in Sarasota, Florida

2009-11-15T21:39:00.003-05:00

This is such a cool place. It's hidden away just on the edge of downtown Sarasota and is an actual garden that's been designed for kids (and grownups too). There's a wooden pirate ship, a rubber tire pyramid for climbling, a big stage for performing, misty hoses that wrap around trees and pathways that lead to secret hideaways. All of this in the middle of a huge garden.

Just at the entrance you'll find a little shop with books and gifts and an entire room devoted to dressing up and children can choose anything they want to wear.

On Sunday, November 22, is the Sarasota Annual Reading Day and you'll be able to visit for FREE and get a book for your child too. I've posted the info below.

Nov 22, 2009 (Sun) 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

:: 3rd Annual Children's Reading Day at The Children's Garden
1670 Tenth Way, Sarasota Fl

This is a very special day where we promote reading with local children's book authors. This is a great opportunity to have your books signed by your child's favorite author. Lots of family fun with tons of activities, stage events and food and drink. This is a FREE ADMISSION DAY to the garden. So let's unplug our kids and read and come out and support our local children's book authors!

Seashells and Seaglass Mirror

2009-11-14T10:38:00.000-05:00

I saw this great mirror in the bathroom of a little art gallery in Venice, FL and had to take pictures so I can make one for my house! (sigh) . . . one of these days.

Fresh Produce and Pies at the Amish Market

2009-11-11T12:09:00.004-05:00

Amish in Florida? Go figure. But it has proven to be a fascinating learning experience since we moved here to sunny Sarasota. There is a small pocket of town called Pinecraft, an Amish and Mennonite Community, largely populated during the winter months when they come down from up North with the rest of Sarasota's seasonal visitors. They are well-known for their restaurants and produce markets.

This is where we go to do a lot of our fruit and vegetable shopping. Or when we want to eat Dutch family-style. My kids think they are in some sort of theme park whenever we go so everyone benefits.

Oh, and did I mention the FANTASTIC pies? Peanut Butter Cream, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Banana Cream, Coconut Cream, Chocolate Cream, Mom's Egg Custard, Southern Pecan, Dutch Apple Crumb, Pumpkin, and Strawberry Rhubarb to name a few. People reserve pies for the holidays and the pie window pickup- line travels out into the parking lot. I kid you not. I remember driving by the restaurant one day and wondering what all the people were waiting for? Was a politician or celebrity visiting Yoder's restaurant? No - they were waiting to pick up PIES! See the Food Network video link below . . .

See the Man vs. Food Video here . . . http://www.yodersrestaurant.com/?x=events

Woman's Exchange in Sarasota FL - Fantastic Finds!

2009-11-06T12:31:00.001-05:00

Being a resort town for snow birds, Sarasota has hordes of seasonal residents with second homes here, which results in a large amount of extra stuff that gets sent to consignment and resale stores. I've never seen so many goodwill dropoffs anywhere else.

This is one of my favorite places to go furniture scavenging and get inspired.

The Woman's Exchange

Great Birdcage!

HUGE Chandelier

Red Asian Cabinets

Funky Sparkly Bracelets for Kids

2009-11-05T09:52:00.001-05:00

I made these funky little bracelets with my preschool art class. They are so sparkly and fabulous. I am in love with chenille pom poms and pipe cleaners and if you are too, then definitely check out http://www.makingfriends.com/ for the directions and some fun projects for the little ones.

Feather Boa

2009-11-03T14:37:00.002-05:00

I made these little feather boa bracelets for Ruby's dress-up box. I just cut it to fit her wrist and tied satin ribbon on either end and made a bow. So Girly!

New Orleans Style

2009-11-02T12:56:00.002-05:00

I have to share a book I am in love with - Creole Thrift by designer Angele Parlange from New Orleans. She is eighth generation raised at Parlange, one of Louisiana's most famous plantations. New Orleans has to be one of my favorite cities - hands down.

Originally I picked the book up from the library and then had to buy it. It's one of those that inspires you to get up off the couch and do some eccentric decorating. Who cares if you have ostrich feathers trimming your windows? Being a born-and-raised Southern Girl I loved this book with it's southern culture, flamboyant decorating ideas, and the personal memoirs behind each design idea.

Beach Towel Slipcovers

2009-11-02T10:01:00.003-05:00

"You should start a blog with all this stuff" said my friend visiting during Adam's birthday party a few weeks ago. She was prompted by the beach towel slipcovers my Mom and I made for my patio cushions. I picked up a retro wrought iron patio set a few months ago that was white, rusted, and had faded & dirty cushions. And, yes - they go right in the washer with bleach. Quite important when you live in South Florida's tropical climate.

Yucky Cushion before . . .

A few cans of black spray paint and some white beach towels later and . . .voila!

Candy Fights & Halloween Wreaths

2009-11-01T20:20:00.003-05:00

So I've decided to start my first blog the day after Halloween. All day has been a constant argument with my 3 year-old, Ruby and my 7 year-old, Adam about eating candy. The HUGE grocery bag of Halloween loot was tossed onto the front porch this morning- next stop the outside garbage - unless breakfast was eaten. It was eventually brought back inside in order to dole out an after-lunch treat and now sits on the uppermost shelf in my studio/office. I could hear my children roaming through cabinets and closets looking for it while I dozed off this afternoon . . .

Tomorrow will be "de-decoration" day for all the Halloween stuff. Halloween is BIG deal at our house - it is my favorite holiday for decorating. This year I made an impromptu wreath with one I found thrown out in front of my neighbors' house (yes I admit it). It was covered in "autumn" cheesiness such as fake flowers & wired ribbons which I stripped off. It now looks like this . . . maybe not the greatest thing I've made but not bad for about 30 minutes of work!