Twistin' the Night Away!!!

The last time we got together with our cooking buddies we did some crafting and some pretzeling!

Pretzels are so fun to make, but don't quadruple the recipe like we did cause it just makes things kinda crazy!

The recipe we used was from... The Tasty Kitchen.

Tasty Kitchen is Pioneer Woman's recipe site and there are always good recipes to be found there.

So if you go here you can just print the recipe out!

The recipe says that it makes only 8 pretzels...so in my infinite wisdom I decided that we of course would need more than that!!!  Well I am sure you can see the writing on the wall...

after mixing...

and rising...

and shaping...we had pretzels coming out of our ears!

Everyone had lots of fun practicing - and yet we just couldn't figure out how they do it in those pretzel shops...they just fling the dough around and Voila! make a pretzel.

We got the hang of it...and made some pretty nice pretzels.

One of the fun things about making pretzels is that they have to be put in hot water with baking soda before you bake them...

I think it makes the outside a bit chewy...

Of course we had to have a snack and Madison spread banana bread with cream cheese frosting for us.  These baking days are not for the meek!

We coated the pretzels with butter and some got salt while others got cinnamon sugar!

Look how pretty and they were very yummy!

While the pretzels were baking the girlies made purses from old pairs of jeans.

Here is the link if you would like to make one yourself...Thread Banger

They are fairly easy to make...

and good for practicing a little bit of machine sewing.

They have a cute braided handle...and I think next time we get together there will be some decorating!

The girlies pulled the pattern up on Lane's new Ipad and just followed the tutorial.

They may have gotten a little side-tracked at times!

So off to ballet the girlies went...tummies full of pretzels and new bags on their arms!

Try making some pretzels...just do it one recipe at a time!

xoxo     Elizabeth

Reclaiming the House!

The family and I recently had a discussion about our house...should it be decorated for 'company' or should it be arranged for how we live in it?  For example...I do my sewing in the living room while we are all watching our shows together - on a card table with TV trays and such around me to hold the things I need....well if that is where I am going to sew all the time then maybe it should be a little prettier and a little more permanent!

So...here is my new 'old' desk!!!!!!!!  I originally painted this desk years ago - before I even had any girlies!  I believe it was my Honey's desk...and I truly love it. 

As  you can see it has shelves and drawers - lots of places to put stuff!

It is nice and large so I can fit a lot of my favorite things on it!  I just need to leave some room to work!

Here is a letter box that my Honey (my mom's dad) made for me. 

With beautiful Columbine flowers painted on it...

and sitting next to it - a doll from my mom's room, a gift from someone that loved her!

Her name (the doll's!) is Great Aunt Nita...and look at that sweet face.

You can never have too many Sharpies and I am a big fan of Miss Spider.

While I was cleaning up I found some cute little boxes that I didn't want to get rid of - so I put some stuff in them and set them on my desk!

Here is a clay piece that my wonderful friend, Karen, made me many years ago...it has scenes from my birthplace - San Francisco (or as we call it, The City) on it.  And next to it a fun Ebay find...a Bakelite container.

You can see the front of it here...and....

it opens up like this!

As I sit at my desk I can see some notes that are special to me...

on my lamp and....

on the piece of board that covers the top of the desk...

this one is just practical...so I can measure while I am sewing!

Some buttons I like...I save cool wrappers (you know, gonna make something with them one day!)...and fortunes saved for my Lane (she's gonna make something with them one day too!).

Some teeny notebooks that we made...

and my newest form of storage - Mason jars!  I am keeping them on the coolest old gum rack that has a story all it's own that I will share with you one day!

Well that is my new space...just the beginning of changes around here - this weekend we tackled the family room and it looks great too! The family room is where all my flamingos are and I really want to show them to you - but the room is very dark and so far my photos haven't turned out well.  I think I may have to enlist Madison and her new camera to do the job for me!

The consensus on decorating for us is - a little of both - pretty for company (and us!) and practical for how we live also.

Next we will deal with our classroom which, because Lane graduates from 8th grade this year, will become our studio - a place for all our combined art supplies.  I'll let you know how that goes!


xoxo    Elizabeth

Nature's Strength

I feel compelled today to ask anyone who might happen upon my little blog to stop and take a moment to send kind, positive, loving thoughts towards the people in Japan...

In reflection today I was thinking about how strong we feel...how much we accomplish...technology, medicines, going into space...and yet how much stronger nature is.

Hokusai's print that has brought me so much pleasure, so many times - today fills me with sadness for what the people of Japan are enduring.

May our thoughts of goodwill sweep over them like a fan on a hot summer day...

May our hearts beat with theirs like a friendly drum...reassuring them that there are people who care...

May they find some small bit of peace in these frightening days...

May they find the strength they will need in the days ahead.

xoxo    Elizabeth


A note...all of the prints shown above are from the great artist Hokusai

Scrabble Anyone?

The other day the girlies and I played Scrabble...

It was a beautiful day out and we couldn't decide just what to do - there was a difference of opinion...go on a walk...do a craft...make cookies...play a game....

We compromised on playing a game outside on the porch - I love compromise!

We at first decided we were going to play triple solitaire - it's like solitaire only bigger.

Here we are at the cabin playing quadruple solitaire...no actually I think it was quintruple!

Well, it was a little windy and we feared the cards might blow away...and oh how I hate a deck of cards that is not the full 52!  So we got out the old Scrabble board.

We ended up with one of the worst Scrabble set ups that you could imagine....everything happening in one corner...no words long enough to make other words...we even had to get the dictionary out!  (I know some of you that are true Scrabble players probably always have the dictionary out!)  We soldiered on though until all the tiles were gone...at the end we even added some of our own words...

Can you find them?

Lane had one quite good play where she lumped a bunch of words together with a word that we were sure wasn't real...until she found it in the dictionary!  See if you can guess where that is!

So, we got some sun time, enjoyed some ginger ale, mountain dew, and root beer...and learned some new words!  All in all a good afternoon.

What game should we try next time?

xoxo     Elizabeth

Art Time Class!

Spring is coming and I have a project to get you in the mood!

Come on over and make this Springtime Charm Tree with us...

There are twelve sweet charms on this tree - four different styles that I will show you how to make.  There is tiny bit of sewing and some easy wire work.  Nothing too complicated, but the end result is a small tree (about 18 " high) that you can change up for the seasons, holidays, or any special occasion.

Here is the little 'bug' that we will be making for the tree.

So...the details....

March 19, 11:00 to 3:00

$25.00 per person
Materials included

Space for 10 students



...email me so I can save a space for you or if you have any questions


liz_toel@sbcglobal.net



xoxo     Elizabeth