Still scrapbooking?

Have a stack of old photos

all of the same subject?

In a pickle as to what to do with them?

Don't throw them away,

Photomontage

them!

For this Christmas tree album page, I trimmed around

the tree branches for a lacy effect,

  then arranged

the tree cut-outs onto a piece of heavy weight, acid free

card stock, cut into the shape of a Christmas tree.

I placed the edges of the cut trees so they

extended over the tree form a little.

Photos with gifts visible go on

the bottom of the layout. 

When I found a pleasing composition, I glued them down.

The "new" tree, made up of many trees, was then put onto

a 12" x 12" piece of scrapbooking paper.

I used the same idea for jack-a-lanterns, 

using a pumpkin shaped base and filling it with

cut-out

jack-a-lantern photos

AND

with birthday desserts using a candle and flame

shaped form.

(Obviously, this "candle" is stuck in ice cream or whipped

cream, and is beginning to lose its footing.)

This collage of photos creates a novel

page out of a

repetitious subject.

The process reduces that stack of pictures that always get snapped

at annual family events and that look similar year after year.

The one new image, made from years of photos, makes a 

powerful statement about the longevity, vitality and

steadfastness of family and family traditions.

Easy, effective, inexpensive, and fun.

t.t.f.n. ~ Carol

a candid snapshot.... of the piano

posted by jennifer

we have a beautiful antique piano. it was my grandma taylor's... my dads mom. at one point, it was at my childhood home. ..my mom and i both took lessons on it in the early 80's.... and at this point i don't think i could play chopsticks on demand.

in a roundabout way, it ended up in close to my home, in the san diego area. years ago, it was offered to me, and i accepted.

it is most frequently played by my oldest child emma. not formally, but she picks things up by ear quite easily and often plays, and as i write this rough draft, which is now my final draft... my daughter maya is playing. so there. it is used as intended...at times.

but it can also be a handy flat surface. this is what you would see on my piano this week.

propped up where some people might put their sheet music, is a page i made for maya yesterday. she hasn't quite got the alphabet down yet, and i had seen a book where the alphabet was written out with each line ending where there is a pause when singing the abc's. simple and brilliant. so i gathered my alpha stickers and a piece of cardstock and there you go.

there are also five generous servings of homemade pudding... like real real homemade. i had milk that had to be used, and recipes to try. the chocolate pudding was super easy. i think it was a tyler florence recipe. i also made butterscotch pudding. it was a little more tricky than the chocolate. i almost burned the caramel when my sister april called... if i hadn't been trying to multi-multitask, there probably would have been zero hiccups.

a package to be returned to costco. i ordered some new "yoga" pants... the weather is cooling a bit, and i need to revamp my cool weather casual wardrobe. yoga pants/tee's/sweater. this is not to be confused with my cool weather fancy clothes. jeans/tee's/sweater. unfortunately, the pants had a strong off putting smell... which i was willing to deal with by airing them out, because they fit so well. but then i went to the full length mirror, and um, hello. major camel toe action. this i cannot deal with.

also, there are some random torn books and broken toys. i picked them up from the fix-it basket at maya's preschool. i'm a handy girl, so ya know.

lastly,a basket of fabrics and notions that will be brought to life in the form of tote bags. i hope to have this batch listed in my etsy shop in the next week. check them out at www.strawberryoaks.etsy.com.  i have been feeling so inspired lately with design and projects, that it's a wonder i made the time to make that pudding.... but later tonight, when i am getting the hunkering for something tasty, i am going to be glad i did. cheers!

Children's Art and an Old Ottoman

Recently I made it to a neighborhood rummage sale and had some good luck . I found a quilt, some boxes that I intend to use for paintings, a shoebox full of lace seam binding, a small deer statue that I will be dressing up for the holidays… and this ottoman,

tuffet,       pouffe,        hassock,

                                             footstool

One of the things I remember so well from my grandparent’s home was one very similar (the same material and color) although theirs was cylindrical and the grand kids loved to roll around on it......

....I was drawn to it because of those happy memories.

Around the same time someone sent me an article about an artist who combines her artwork with her children’s and then I saw a sharpie on the counter…. And my idea was hatched!

I asked my children if they would want to draw on the ottoman!

I only asked that they wouldn’t scribble, they had to pick out a spot to work and leave space for me because I was part of the project too.  

What is important is happy children and 

for them it should be about  the process not the product.

So I left the room so I wouldn’t interfere. Whatever they would have come up with, I would have been able to work with with the zen-tangle, doodle design that I had in mind. 

So after they did their art, I added mine and here is our finished product.

 

XO, April

Turning a new leaf

I love a good curb find. 

My house is filled with them to prove it.

And my garden, too.

I scored this former fountain, that was left

for trash pick up, a year and a half ago.

I gave it new life as a planter

in our front garden.

It is the perfect anchor

for the path the letter carrier travels on

six days a week.

I planted this found treasure with

Harvest Lemon Chiffon Coral Bells

and 

Vinca minor vines.

The vinca minor is trailing to the ground after less than a 

year and a half.  Its blue "periwinkle" flowers appear

repeatedly during the spring and summer.

The six inch spikes, on which the coral bells flowers 

bloom, contrast with the cascading vines of the vinca.

Both plants do well in shady areas.

The tiny coral bell flowers invite a stop-and-look,

as passersby step onto the path leading to our front door.

 t.t.f.n. ~ Carol

love and marriage......

 .....through the eyes of a four year old

posted by jennifer

my daughter maya is at  that wonderfully sweet age where everything is hearts and flowers... at least that is, when things are as she feels they should be...when she feels there is an injustice...  i am girl hear me roar.   although even then, she is at the age where those roars are quickly replaced by sweet
sentiments.

lately, she has been directing weddings between my husband and i.  this entails her picking some flowers from the yard (today a bouquet of ornamental garlic blooms).... her delivering them to my husband in the sly way only a young child pull off... walking backwards, hands behind her back, and stating that she doesn't have anything.

she will then tell my husband to give me the flowers and to ask me to marry him.

all is well once the flowers are accepted by the bride (that's me) and we kiss.  the wedding complete.

and maya is satisfied that she has orchestrated yet another successful marriage.  to the same couple. for the 6th time that month.

sweet sweet girl.

Autumn

In less than a week we will bid adieu to summer and 
Welcome fall.

Today began my welcome for this beautiful season.

“Pumpkin trees” replaced some Eucalyptus

  trimmings on the mantle and next to them are some pumpkin candies in a jar. 

I enjoyed the perfect late afternoon light.

Oh, and fall food! 

Biscotti and Coffee for breakfast and Chicken pot pie for dinner

, April

Garden veggies with pasta and reduction sauce

Using zucchini, bell pepper, tomato, kale, chard, and basil from my garden, I came up with this recipe.
I cook it in my wok.  This recipe is a little loosey-goosey, making it very easy to adjust to the seasonal vegetables available, and to your personal preferences.

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooked pasta  (I use whatever I have, or am in the mood for.  I have used penne, rigatoni, rotini, or spaghetti.  I cook about 8 oz. dry pasta or I use leftover pasta, if I have it.)

Zucchini
Bell pepper
Onion
Kale
Chard
Spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Snow peas
Broccoli
And/or any other of your favorite vegetables, combined to make about 4 - 5 cups.

2-3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup basil
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. vegetable or chicken broth

Saute the garlic in hot olive oil until golden, being careful not to burn.
Add the basil and cook for a minute, stirring.  Remove the garlic and basil from the wok.

Add about 1/3 of the broth to the wok and depending on which vegetables you are using, add the ones that take the longest to cook first, followed by ones that take less time.  (For me that would be the carrots first, followed by the bell pepper, and onion, followed by the kale, chard, and cherry tomatoes.) . Steam the vegetables, covering with a pot lid. Cook until crisp-tender. When all the vegetables are cooked to your liking, using a slotted spoon, remove them from the wok.  Set aside.

To the broth the vegetables steamed in, add the diced tomatoes, the cooked garlic and basil, the remainder of the broth and salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Reduction takes 15-20 minutes.

When sauce is nice and saucy, put the cooked vegetables and cooked pasta back into the wok, stirring to coat them with the sauce and to get them hot again.

Of course, you can easily adjust this recipe to your liking...adding more garlic, less pasta, more vegetables....

Makes about 3 servings.

I make this for my lunch, as my husband isn't big on pasta or vegetables.  It reheats well, so I cook once and have 3 delicious lunches.

t.t.f.n. ~ Carol