Browsing Overstock

Sometimes I completely forget about Overstock.com. And it's a tragedy, because there are truly some diamonds in the rough to be found! I browsed around a little bit this morning and came across a few things I wouldn't mind shipping home to myself (for only $2.95 for the whole order!)

This watch. I really need a new watch (READ: I need a watch, period.), and I like the look of the new white resin/ceramic bands. Are they too trendy? Oh well, I really like them anyway.

A white duvet cover. We are also in need of this. The one we currently use is the same one I had in high school. YIKES! I adore down comforters and white bedding. I love the feel of getting into a crisp bed with white sheets and covers. It feels so clean!

This lovely ottoman. Oh I would love to have this in my home somewhere.

A Flip Video. We actually already have one of these little beauties, but I absolutely love it. This accompanied us to Europe, and it was awesome. They are so convenient. Very light and small. They have a built in usb, so they easily just plug right into your computer when you are ready to download videos. No worrying about cables. EASIER than a camera. Love.
These boots. I love me a good pair of riding boots. But if we are being completely honest, and I always am, what I really want are some good old fashioned FRYE Boots.

Lastly, I am in the market for a shoe storage bench. This one would fit the bill! Who else out there constantly battles with missing shoes? I absolutely can't stand it when we are getting ready to walk out the door and one of the kids realizes their shoes are missing. Perhaps a shoe bench would make it more fun for the children to keep track of their foot wear.
It's always fun to "window shop" via the internet. In France I learned they call it "window licking", which I thought was funny. Where are some of your favorite online window shopping locations?

Whole Wheat Bread

Hear it is, the great bread recipe.  Thanks so much Shannon for sharing this with us!  Before you begin, I would not make my own bread if I didn't have my Bosch mixer.  A kitchen Aid will work also.  To mix by hand would be just too much work for me.  If you want to attempt this without a mixer, more power to ya!  I'm just saying I wouldn't!

Whole Wheat Bread
4 C hot water
2 Tbsp salt
2/3 C oil
2/3 C molasses
2/3 C honey
2/3 C Vital Wheat Gluten
2 1/2 Tbsp saf instant yeast
10 C flour (about)

Mix together water, salt, oil, molasses and honey. Add about 4 C flour and the wheat gluten. Mix for 1 minute. Add yeast and mix for another minute. Add the remainder of flour until the dough sweeps the sides of the bowl. Once enough flour is added, continue to mix for 8-9 minutes so the gluten to forms. Grease table top and hands and shape dough into 3 loaves.  Let rise until double in size. The recipe said it would rise 30 minutes, but mine took at least 2 hrs. Shannon says hers takes 2-3 hours also.. Once risen, bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

I hope these directions are clear.  Bread making takes practice!  Once you've figured out how the bread should feel and look when just the right amount of flour is added, it becomes much easier.  Just practice!  I also grind my own wheat because I think it tastes better and is much fresher than the stuff you buy in the store.   One more thing, Saf instant yeast is by far the best.  I've tried others and it never turns out as well as Saf.  With Saf you do not need to proof your yeast or start your yeast in warm water first.  If something is confusing, just leave your question in the comments and I will respond asap!  Good luck!

A few little bits of happiness

Hello lovely readers! It's good to be home. (I just returned from a tour of Holland/Belgium/ France and Germany.) Aside from the awful jet lag, everything is just perfect. I have so many things to share, but for now, here are a few thoughts from my recent trip:

1: So grateful for the Tom's shoes. Aside from the hus, they were my favorite travel companion. Didn't hurt one bit.2: My love for macarons has grown 12-fold. Over the course of just a few days, I easily devoured 12 of these little beauties. Keep in mind that each little cookie cost about $2. A small price to pay for a slice of heaven. (Today I ordered a cookbook especially for macarons -- I am totally going to master the art of the divine cookie. STAY TUNED.)3: I love art. The Musee D'Orsay still reigns as my favorite museum of all time. And Vermeer still reigns as one of my favorite artists. Got to love The Lace Maker.
4: Jumping pictures are the perfect way to spice up any collection of travel photos. Especially if they include the best bus driver around. Love you Frankie!5: Germany is hands down the most beautiful/wonderful country I have ever seen. Flower boxes in every window? Check. Adorable little wooden and stone houses? Check. Castles everywhere? Check. Insanely gorgeous mountains in every direction? Check. Green pastures spotted with white cows and darling goats? Check. Christmas shops so full of cheer you have to stop what you are doing and hug your sister in law because you feel so much joy? Check.
A post revealing the chiffon project is coming soon. I just need to face the task of sorting the 5o pictures I took of the process. It took me 4 different tries to make it turn out!

Exciting new posts!

I am proud to announce that I actually have some new, exciting posts thought up in my head. The problem...so many pictures, so little patience. I promise I will be sharing this next week! (if I don't get sidetracked by the company that will be here for the next 3 weeks, which is even more exciting for me!)

Just a little preview: a new tutorial for a beautiful, headband, flower, accessory thingy, (did you get that?) a great Snickerdoodle recipe and a clever, little game my 7 year old and his friend made up to entertain themselves. What's better than two 7 year olds entertaining themselves rather than relying on me to do it? Nothing! I can't wait!

AND...the most exciting news! Heidi will be home! Yay! I bet you've missed her. I know I sure have!

And there you have it! Man, that's a lot of exclamation points and parenthesis. That reminds me, do you remember that song back in the 90's about punctuation? The words went something like this. "I love you period. Do you love me question mark? Please, please exclamation point! I want to hold you in parenthesis." Random, but do you? It was strange but very catchy! If you want to read the remaining lyrics find them here.

Flip Out

I never thought I'd be the "mom" who always had homemade bread on her counter at all times. Well, about 4 years ago a friend of mine taught me how to make my own bread from fresh wheat. This is the wheat you have to grind! Yes, my neighbor thought I was crazy when I gave her a loaf and she asked for the recipe. Needless to say, she's never even attempted the process. Anytime "wheat grinding" is brought up in conversation the mind immediately stops paying attention because that's just too much work. Well, let me just say, once you've tried this bread, you'll never buy that stuff from the store again! (nor will your husband ever let you bring store-bought bread home...ever.)

It had been a good few months since I had made bread due to a very strict diet and summer vacation so today I decided to do something productive. That's what I chose, until my minor freak out when the grinder decided to stop working. That was really bad news! Lucky for me, it just needed a bit of WD-40 and it's up a runnin' again. Phew!

I know this post sounds pointless, so I will leave you with some encouragement. If something ever seems too hard or even impossible, just try it. It's never as hard as it seems and it is usually worth the effort. Believe me, if this was difficult, I wouldn't be doing it. So, do me a favor and bake some bread. Even if it doesn't turn out, you're kitchen will smell good!

buttton, button...who has the button?

It's no secret that I love buttons!  I wish I could tell you that I have an amazing button collection, but I can't.  I am always looking for great buttons at fabric stores and it's just not happening.  Thanks to the Internet I am able to browse countless buttons without dragging the kids to a store where they are not allowed to touch anything.  Which, to be honest, is impossible and gives me a migraine.  Even just thinking about it makes me want to lay down.

I am happy to say I found a great online button shop.   As Cute as a Button has some beautiful pieces that I hope to add to my teensy collection someday.  If anybody out there knows of a great button shop, please let me know because  I am definitely open to suggestions!

A day to remember

A couple of days ago, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Normandy, and more specifically, Omaha beach. Truly, I never thought I would stand on the shore that was once a bloody battlefield not so many years ago. The scene was mostly reverent. There were a few children playing along the shore. The tide was low, though not quite as low as it was on DDay. Omaha beach was huge. We sadly only had a few minutes to stand there before we had to leave, but I must say that it was completely surreal.

Prior to Omaha beach, we stopped at Gold beach where we saw a WWII DDay veteran. He was treated like a veritable movie star and rightly so. His name was Stanley Hodge, age 85. He was dressed in his full, decorated, British suit. It literally brought tears to my eyes.

We stopped at Pointe Du Hoc (the cliffs between Utah and Omaha beaches that were heavily bombed by the US prior to DDAY). Huge, HUGE poc marks covered the land. I climbed down into one and was completely hidden (except from Megan who took a picture of me ;) ). As we climbed through the German bunkers, I tried hard to imagine what it must have felt like to be a solider of war, fearing for my life. It was crowded, and there were many children there. They ran carefree over the crater filled land. All because brave men were willing to stand in harms way to protect freedom.

We also visited the American and German cemetaries, each standing in complete contrast with each other. The American cemetary, very reminicent of Arlington cemetary, was very reverent and peaceful. Each grave was marked with a very triumphant looking white marble cross. Heroic monuments, an unknown soldier wall, a reflecting pool and a view of the ocean added to the increible feeling of awe. The German cemetary on the other hand had a very dark feel. Soliders were buried two to a plot. The headstone is a simple greyish brown rock. Clusters of five crosses, made of the same dull material, are interspersed throughout the grass. A large mound in the center, topped with a shapeless mother and father figure (again, same dark stone), solemnly overlook the dead bodies. They wait, watch and mourn for the unknown soliders. Certainly less fanfare for these men and women. I couldn't help but feel a little bad for them. For many of them, it was just a case of being born in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were just fighting for their country; doing as they were told. Though many were very evil at heart, I am certain there were others who were good and just fighting out of circumstance.

It was no doubt one of the most intersteting days of my life. A day I never thought I would experience. More than ever, it was a day that increased my gratitude for my freedom, and for those incredibly brave men who risked their lives to preserve it. Thank you.