Sunny California

September 15, 2008

Well, we made the big move and are finally settling in and all out of boxes. I know it has been forever since I last posted and you probably thought I must have dropped off the face of the earth...but alas you haven't been that lucky. ha. I really was surprised by how much time and effort went into getting ready for "the big move". I should know that moving and putting things in boxes ALWAYS takes longer than you think it will.

As for us making it to Sunny California...well, things have taken a little getting used to, but I am starting to feel a little more settled. It's not like I want to live in my parents basement forever, but things are just so unfamiliar here.

It's hard when you know somewhere so well and know so many people and then move to somewhere where you have no one and don't even know where the Wal-mart is (which I finally found....it was decided that I will never go back there again. I was the only white person there. I think I was not in the best part of town. oops. Lots to learn). :)

I know Utah forwards and backwards, I know where the Targets and Wal-marts are I know where the things are in grocery stores and I can find the little things I need without much effort. I know the freeways and I know the backroads...but I don't know anything here.

To give LA some credit....It really is a great place. I love how close we are to the beach and I love how once I do find something it is almost always less than 10 minutes away. Its a great city, it just takes getting familiar with the surroundings and finding which roads lead me where. I was extremely excited to find a Costco and it is brand new only 10 minutes away...the little joys in life right?!

My husband, doesn't start school for another week so it has been nice to have him around while I am trying to find everything and get the hang of this town. I will admit that I do dread him starting school because that means days will be a little longer and I will have less to do, but hopefully I will make friends quickly and find people to do things with.

Well, I'm here and I will be blogging regularly again. Sorry for the keeping you all anxiously awaiting a future blog post for so long now. ha. :)

ABC's.

August 22, 2008

It's a hard job to try to educate your child and hope that you are giving them all the time and attention they need to learn and grow. I definitely don't claim to be an expert teacher or even think that my own son is a genius. I just want him to have some basic knowledge about things before he enters school (I know I have a while....). Anyway, something that my son has shown a lot of interest in lately has been numbers and letters. So I have tried to do a few craft projects with him to just introduce letters.

Here are a few of my ideas:

Bumpy Letters
Kids can learn from touch as well as sight and sound when it comes to letters. So reaching back into the recesses of my mind (when I used to tutor a little boy). I remembered this activity. We made letters out puffy paint on little index cards. We would trace the letters with our fingers and say what the sounds that the letters made. I have also played memory with the letters. Matching the Uppercase Letters with the Lowercase Letters.


More Texture Letters:
Shape letters out of as many textures and objects you can think of...

-Play-dough

-Glue Salt/sprinkles (Use glue to shape the letter and then sprinkle salt onto the glue, shake off the excess salt. Let dry and then feel them.)

-Glue macaroni/Penni noodles to a page to shape letters

-Cookie Dough and Letter Cookie Cutters (or just shape the letter yourself) and bake them.

-Alpha-bits Cereal



-Ice Cube Trays



I am in love with the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree... A fun way to have your child find the letters and place them on the tree as you read or just play with



-Make letters on paper for your child to color or decorate how ever they like

My son seems to love Puzzles so we have also opted to buy him a letter and number puzzle...just one more way to see the Alphabet. I am a big fan of Melissa and Doug Puzzles.

My son also loves the Letter Magnates made by Leap Frog. I have to say that I am also a big fan of them, considering they make the say the letter and then makes all the sounds that the letter makes in a cute little song. I am not a personal believer in the A is for Apple method. I like to say A says and then list all the sounds that A makes.

I know this post in only partial a project or craft, but I did also say ideas right?! Well, I hope so because I like to get ideas from people too. Maybe one of the days should be designated just to teaching ideas...what do you think?

If you have more ideas for teaching the Alphabet share them!

Product I love--My Laundry Basket

August 20, 2008

Okay, so I am a little stuck on the laundry topic since this day seems to land on the day of my laundry, but I promise I won't always post about my laundry products, they just seem to be on my mind right now. Anyway, the product that I present to you is....

The Collapsible Laundry Basket



I am in love. My Aunt and Uncle gave me one of these when I graduated from High School and since then I have bought myself two others (not because the first one fell apart, but rather so I could have one for all my laundry needs).

I have one of these for my sons laundry and then one for our whites and one for our darks. It is so handy. When you don't want your laundry basket to take up any room, wham, it fold up and takes up no space at all. Oh, and if this doesn't excite you it is only $4.50. I know I get excited about crazy things sometimes, but this laundry basket, just seems to fit my needs. It has been particularly handy when I have had to drag my laundry to a laundry mat at an apartment complex and seeing as how I am headed back into apartment living I am Super glad I have these nifty bags.

Maybe it doesn't fit your needs exactly and maybe you like your hard plastic hamper and that is just fine, but remember this for the college student in your life. They will definitely like it...with limited space and having to lug it around.

Oh, and if you don't already own more than one laundry basket...do it! You'll thank me later! ha. It is so much easier to already have the laundry sorted before you have to do it. It saves me a little time at least and it makes me feel good. :)

Recipe

Recipe

August 18, 2008

Breaded Ranch Chicken

This is a really easy recipe, plus it tastes super good! So it is one of those recipes that I have to be careful not to wear out, because of over using it. Anyway, you won't be disappointed by it...

3/4 C. crushed cornflakes
3/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

1/2 C. butter or margarine, melted

Boneless Skinless chicken breast halves

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflakes, Parmesan cheese and salad dressing mix. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in cornflake mixture to coat. Place in a greased 9/13 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 350 for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

Camping Craft

August 15, 2008

Well, since we just got back from camping this craft is fresh on my mind. It was such an easy craft and fun for a wide range of ages to do.

However, don't you feel like Paper Bag puppets can seem a little drab or boring sometimes, well, we added some fun extras to make them a little more exciting for the kids and a little more fun to make.


We used:
Pipe Cleaner
Googly Eyes
Construction Paper
Brown Bag
Crayons
Glue

It was an easy craft and perfect for camping. When you don't want to lug around a ton of crafting supplies.

Cake Decorating

August 14, 2008

Okay, so the cakes make me look more amazing than I am.

It really wasn't all that hard, you can definitely do it too!

I'll fill you in on the secrets...

They are made out of Fondant...

They sell it at Candy and Cake Decorating Stores or I have even seen it in the cake decorating section at my local Wal-Mart. So you might want to check there too. It comes in both plain white and in an already colored from. However, I like to buy it in white so I can use dye to make it the exact colors that I want it.

I used Wilton brand fondant, but I am not sure if there is a distinict difference between brands.

It is the consistency of taffy and comes in a big square brick of white (or colors).

To make the curly-q's:
I divided the Fondant into equal parts and dyed it icing coloring (see two brand pictures below). I cut the colors into strips and wrapped it around straws until it hardened and then slid them off. That's all there was to it.

Two brands of Dyes:

To make the bow:
On this cake I used one block of white fondant, then dyed it the three shades of pink. I created little loops and sealed the edges shut with a few drops of water and then layed them on their side to dry. The day before my neices birthday I put a large glob of frosting in the center of the cake and started sticking my loops (at random) into the frosting glob, until I had want looked like a pretty decent bow. I saved some of the fondant that I had dyed and made the strips around the edge of the cake at this time too.

I actually think frosting the cake is the hardest part, since the frosting pulls crumbs off the cake...what a pain! However, I have found that if you first frost a very thin layer of frosting on the cake and let that dry for a few minutes, the the next layer seems to pull off less crumbs. Just a little FYI. I am no professional, but this is what i have learned about it.

The cake only took me a long time because I could only work on it while Jackson was napping.

PS...I like to get my cakes done in advance so that I am not worrying about the cake and getting whatever else needs to happen with the birthday done at the same time. I have found that I can also molded it and then stick it into the freezer, and still work just as well.

Oh and this isn't my cake, but I love the idea of mixing the curly-q's and the bow...just thought I would share....

Products I Just Can't Live Without

August 13, 2008

I am going to start with the laundry, simply because today I am busy doing laundry so it is on my mind. Okay, so I am actually quite good at doing the laundry, folding it, well that is a whole other story. I absolutely hate folding laundry (wait is hate a strong enough word for how I feel about it, probably not). It has got to be the most unrewarding and unfulfilling job out there. I mean clean clothes easy for me to jump n board with that idea and easy for me to pull out my tide and enjoy the aroma it creates on my clothes and sheets, but please folding it?! It gets unfolded and waded up way too fast for me to appreciate the joy of having all of the laundry folded and put away. So if someone wants to know a great gift for me for my birthday or Christmas, a laundry machine that folds and puts the clothes away would do.

(Oh and Tide...in my opinion is worth the splurge. It makes laundry smell so good!)

Okay, back to the products that I love. When I am doing my laundry I can't live without bleach! It has got to be up there on the BEST products EVER! I mean what gets your whites whiter and smelling more clean than bleach. I have to add this to every load of whites I do. Oh, and sheets...with the smell of bleach and tide mixed together, so heavenly clean. If you don't already use bleach in your laundry Start. You will not be disappointed. Oh, the only thing I would be weary of is the Clorox pictured below that has a cirtus smell, it isn't your true bleach and if you read the labels it has less of everything in it and doesn't do as great of a job at removing bacterial yuckies and making your clothes as white.

Okay, and as for my two favorite stain removers. I do a little mixture. First I do a little scrubbing on the stain and then I coat it with Clorox 2 (bleach for colors), followed by a sprinkle of the powdered Biz detergent. Let the combo sit for about 20-30 minutes, come back and scrub and then wash! It takes out just about everything. Sometimes on really bad stains I have had to let them soak over night in this little mixture, but it always seems to lift stains out like a pro. I have been terribly disappointed by a few products that I have used lately for stain removal that have lifted the colors off of my clothes as well, but these have seemed to be pretty good to me. I can't guarantee you won't have that problem, but overall, great products.

Cutting Them Up

August 12, 2008

I'm not calling it quits, but I am going to take a step forward and recognize the fact that I am probably, at this point in my life, not going to get the loans that I need to make my aprons succeed (not purposely rhyming there, ha.). Anyway, the new business plan, well to sell everything I do have. I have about a billion yards of fabric surrounding me currently and something needs to be done with it.

Wouldn't you think? Yes I would.

So the plan...
I am going to begin making the aprons into kits. I will sell the pattern along with a pre-cut kit of fabric. All you have to do it start buying them. ha. Only joking. I will sell them, but I am also going to take them to local quilt shops who have said they would be interested in carrying the patterns.

This is still a very exciting option, but it is sort of hard to give up the creative rights to my products, to just sell the patterns and not have any further creative touches with them. However, it has been so much fun to pick out the fabric for these aprons so I am sure that the first bundle of kits will be fun to create. A lot of work mind you, but when did money ever come free or easy?!

I will begin to cut kits and post pictures of the different kits as I complete them, but I will no longer be making the aprons....unless you have a special request and then, just email me (epicureanstyle (at) gmail (dot) com) and maybe we can work something out.

I think you will be excited by the fabrics though and the aprons really aren't all the hard to make, so this should be fun. I'll post more as I know more, but for now....I'm cutting them up and selling the kits.

Email me or make a comment if you have questions.

Sorry.

August 4, 2008

You are going to have to give me a little slack as I promise I have not just left this blog for better things, but rather have been without any internet the last week (can I tell you how lost I have felt? The only good thing was to come back to such a full email box. It was like Christmas. I love reading what you guys have to say and getting questions, so don't stop). Today is the first day that I have had any signal/connection and it only has two little bars and looks like it could go out at any second.

But during this little break, just know that I have come up with some VERY fun things to blog about! I have tons to tell you about and have also had people email me with loads of questions. You can believe I will be right on this.

Life is a little busy at the moment...selling our TV (yea!), making a birthday cake for my sister, leaving for a camping trip, wondering when life is going to slow down, getting a potential loan (keep crossing your fingers...there might be something on the horizon), trying to keep a two year old happy and occupied, and all while making skirts for all the girls around here, but I will keep you posted and I promise I will have new updates soon!

So put up with my little absence from blogging just a little longer and I promise to have some fun things in store!

Thanks,
Michelle

Days Of The Week

July 28, 2008

Have you ever tried to teach your children something? Well, lately I have just decided that I want to really start teaching my son something once a week. I am starting small, but thought I would share my idea. I am taking one item a week and then working on it. My son might be a little young for this, but I decided that I wanted him to understand the days of the week, so that he can start understanding when events are going to take place.

I am 100% positive that this will take more than a week to master, but you have to start somewhere and then I will just keep asking and asking and working and working until we get this one down.

Our August calender is FULL of events, so this afternoon I am going to do a small introduction into our schedule. I have a wall claneder that I use to keep track of events, but we are going to draw pictures of the events on the days that are important to him and then let him help me color them in.

Below: I took our July Calendar and made quick drawings (no making fun of the artwork) of what our July calendar would have looked like. I would have the child color the pictures in or if they are old enough to draw them, let them draw the pictures too.

I am planning on looking at the calender often and pointing things out to him. I am also going to hang it a little lower so that he can see it.

Then on Playhouse Disney, I heard them sing this song (a while back), I thought it was cute song and if sung often might help a child start to place the days of the week in their place.

Sing to the tune of "Are You Sleeping/ Frere Jacques"

Today is [name of day].
Today is [name of day].
All day long, all day long.
Yesterday was [name of day].
Tomorrow will be [name of day].
Oh what fun!
Oh what fun!
© Disney

I am thinking I will just keep singing and filling in a calender with him like this every month. I am SURE it will take a while to master this skill, but I am hoping it will start to give him an idea of what is going on. :)

A Quick Vent

July 23, 2008

Since this is supposed to be a blog dedicated to my aprons I figured it was high time I paid a little more attention to them. I was just having so much fun. :) Anyway, a little update as to where I am at or stuck with the aprons.

I am completely confused as to what to do...

I have been trying to get a small business loan for quite a while, which has me in a stand still for what I can do next. I keep hearing that I need assets, and well, I have none. I don't own a home, I don't own any property...I have about five dollars in the bank. If that counts for anything?! :) It should. I have worked real hard for that five dollars, er, my husband has, but seriously what is a girl to do.

Unless I find some rich long lost relative that wants to fund my project, I am on hold. It is so frustrating to me that I can't get the money I need. I have about 3-4 orders per week and well, I have to say that is pretty darn good. I mean it could be better, but you consider the fact that I have only had "word-of-mouth" orders. From all of you good people that linked me to your blogs--friends, family, and people I hardly know. It is all VERY appreciated let me tell you. Thank you for your help with spreading the word about my product. But now what? I have cut back on the orders I am taking this summer, just so I can enjoy it and get ready for "the big move", but I really have a feeling that these aprons could get bigger. If someone at the bank would just trust me.

I know they have probably had hundreds of people promise that they wouldn't file bankruptcy and they would payback every penny they borrowed and then didn't, but I REALLY MEAN IT (okay, so I am sure a lot of people REALLY mean it). And with the economy the way it is, nobody wants to lose anything. I can't blame them...but yet I do. :) Why, oh why.

So here I sit on way too much money invested in fabric and not quite enough to move into manufacturing. So what to do? I have one idea, but I am not sure I am all for it yet. If it comes down to it and I just need to get this fabric off my hands than I will, but for now, I am just sitting back and waiting a little longer. Hoping and hoping that something will come along, that something will work out.

Summertime Little Toes

July 18, 2008

After my post about toenails yesterday, I did a little experimenting on tiny toes. My niece, who is only 2, let me do a little practicing on her. I found that on little toes it is much easier to leave out A LOT of the steps.

(clear coat of polish is making her toes look messy ...sorry, my mistake)

I just put the jewel on and then then place several white dots around the edges of the jewel. I Still used the white acrylic paint, but to make the dots I used a toothpick. It worked really well. And turned out pretty cute.

I got a little carried away and did polka dotted fingers too. Same white acrylic paint and I used the toothpick again. It makes great small dots. I think you'll have fun with the one, whether it is for you or your little one.

Summertime Toes

July 17, 2008

I've never had a pedicure, although I am sure I would LOVE it. Just one of those things I've never done, but have on my list of things "yet to be done". However I always enjoy freshly painted toe nails more than you will ever know. Doesn't it just make you feel a little less like a "mommy" and a little more like a "lady". Not that I don't love my role as a mom, but sometimes it feels good to do something good for the woman side of you. :) I think a fresh hair cut and color might rivial this as my favorite "make me feel good" things.

Anyway, whenever I do sit down to paint my toe nails I seem to enjoy painting a little flower on them. I've had people ask how I do it...so today I am here to answer that question for you....

No mind you this looks WAY better "in person". As I took these photos, I was unhappy with the results, they just didn't do the poor piggies justice. Anyway, if you give it a shot I think you will know what I mean.

Good Luck and Happy painting.

First...
Gather all your materials
-Toe Nail Clippers
-Nail Polish Remover
-Clear Polish (Sally Hansen..30 second top coat)
-Color Polish (Pure Ice...Vineyard #829)
-Rhinestones (Nail and Body Rhinstone Kit...by Fingers Nail Art. Just look for it by the nail polish in Walmart or your drugstore)
-White, Green, and Purple Acrylic Paint
-Art Stylus (found at Roberts Craft, they have metal ones that I actually like better than my wooden one. They give cleaner lines and more uniform dots)
-Q-tips
-Cotton Balls

Next clip your toenails and remove any of the excess polish already on them.
Funny as I grabbed my bottle of fingernail polish remover and wondered why it was so empty, I had a sudden flash back and remembered why it was pretty much empty...Remember This?

Anyway, moving on...
After your nails are clean, I like to start with a clear coat on each nail. Have you ever had your nails turn yellowish or other completely discusting colors...well, save yourself and trust me if you haven't, just put down this clear coat to protect yourself.

Now put two coats of your choice of colored polish on your nails. I am using Pure Ice...Vineyard #829---just an FYI.

Let this dry completely. If you are in a hurry for time, use a blow dryer to make it dry more quickly.

Next pull out your White Acrylic Paint (any brand will do). Shake it really well and then use the lid to dip your Art Stylus to get the color. Simply dot five white dots around in a circle.

Let that dry completely.

Then use your Purple Acrylic Paint and Shake it really well. Dip your Stylus into the portion of paint left in the lid and create five dots just inside of the white dots.

Let that dry completely.

Take your White Acrylic Paint and dot one spot in the center of your flower (for you rhinestone to stick to). Set your rhinestone in the center. My Rhinestones came with a wooden stick that if you moisten the end the rhinestone will stick to. It makes it easier to get the Rhinestone from the end of this stick than from my finger.

Now whip out your Green Acrylic Paint and make anywhere from one to three dots around the outside edge of your flower. It gives it a fun little leafy effect.

Let all of that dry.

Then take your clear polish and HEAVILY coat your nail with it. I then go back and polish the rest of my nails with the clear polish too. It just gives it a more finished look and I feel like it keeps it from chipping.

Oh and lastly...if you have any excess polish that has gotten onto your toe, dip a Q-tip into your nail polish and just rub off those spots.

Congrats on your cute toenails. Okay, so these pictures honestly don't do it justice, but I promise you will be happy with the results.

Just For Kids...(and maybe Mom's too)

July 16, 2008

Peanut Butter Playdough

What could be better than something you can play with and eat?! You have to hope your kids don't eat it too fast and they play with it before they start devouring it.

Plus...it's as easy with just three ingredients

Ingredients:
1 Cup Peanut Butter (I prefer smooth)
2 Cups Nonfat dry Milk
1/2 Cup Honey

Mix the Ingredients. Add enough powdered milk to make the playdough dry enough to handle.

You can add other ingredients for your children to play with and make designs or shapes with, such as....
-chocolate chips
-raisins
-cheerios
-chow mein noodles (fun texture...kids will get a kick out of these noodles)
-any other fun treats your kids like could be added here.

They can make faces, cars, silly designs or whatever else sparks their creativity.

***Also, I've heard of people using corn meal as a substitute for the powdered milk, because of a lactose intolerant child. I've heard that is works just as well and some claim better...let me know if you try it and like it one way of the other. If you do decide to use corn meal add 8-12 ounces (add just a little at a time until you get the texture that you are wanting)***

Birthday Bash 2008

July 15, 2008

A few days ago we celebrated my sons second birthday and with it the entering of the terrible two's. I sure hope we got them all out at once, and they don't just drag on, I am not sure I can handle such extreme emotions..... :)

We had a great day and I even got a chance to give him a something I made (it was questionable for a while, I didn't know if I would ever get done. Which I still have a binding to put on, but close enough that I could give it to him to snuggle for a bit). Now mind you this is the first quilt I have made (besides a small simple little quilt I made in JR High...with my friend Lindsay) and I decided I wanted to design the pattern myself because he LOVES trains so much. I just knew the quilt needed to be centered around trains so I went for it and this is what I came up with.

So what do you think? I was quite pleased with the finished product. I was thinking I could do a little giveaway of my pattern or put a link to it on my sidebar, but wondered if anyone would even be interested in it.

I also made his birthday cake...

It has always been a tradition that we could pick whatever cake design we wanted and my Mom would make it. You should have seen the year my brother picked a Jungle theme, the trees were melting by morning (made out of a cookie and then green frosting leaves added on top) and the animals were fantastic. My Mom was incredible, with how she would interpret our desires. It was so fun to me that I decided I should do the same for our kids.

Last year was the first cake I had ever made...

Then I made a cake for my niece...

And this year...(trying to tie in one of Jackson loves, CARS)...