labor day 2010

after our soggy state fair adventure we ventured north again to eklutna lake for labor day. we left behind the gray clouds in anchorage for the sunshine and blue green water unique to glacial lakes. we rode our borrowed four-wheelers 13 miles along the lake to the end of the trail near the glacier. it was beautiful. we stopped for bagel sandwiches and cookies on our way back. this time we left the meat trailer at home because there wasn't room for it on our new-to-us toy/wood/appliance trailer. oh the possibilities! next on the list: the toys to haul on it. *grin* can't wait to do it again next summer!

luvin' on . . .

my sister taralee calls me t-luv. why? not totally sure, but i like it. i even named my zune t-luv. [wink] so over the past couple weeks in my internet travels i have found some stuff i am luvin' on. i thought i'd share it with you all, my internet besties. and so the list goes . . .

first i am totally luvin on this song and video. i think it is my current favorite:



i am luvin' on this table. my living room needs one.

the new lds.org is making me so happy. i am luvin' how on top of  new technology the church is.

i am luvin' on marta's blog and i am totally going to try that nail polish.

i am luvin' being introduced to mindy gledhill via cjane. she makes beautiful music and that red balloon makes me smile.

one of my all time favorite general conference talks was "mothers who know" by sister julie b. beck so when i came across the blog mamas who know i was excited. erin does not disappoint. she has some great resources for conference up right now, including some fun new traditions to try. check it.

my kids are totally luvin' on these corn dog muffins. sounds weird right? i thought so too, but they taste just like a corn dog especially dipped in a swirl of ketchup and mustard. my three boys ate two dozen in one day[i might have helped with a few. maybe]. yum!

and now a sweet little farewell song to the end of september(can you believe it's almost october?). aren't they fun?

a first time photo shoot

i like to take photos. am i a photographer? no. but i sort of felt like one for a few hours one saturday a couple weeks ago. a friend asked me to take some pictures of her lovely family(isn't she gorgeous? and her daughters were sooo cute. the blue eyes, oh my!). it was fun, and kinda hard too. i have a whole new appreciation for the art and the artists. i had never taken pictures for someone else and i was so worried i wouldn't get any good shots. when i got home i immediately dumped my memory card to see what i got. i was disappointed, and started thinking that would be the last time i ever did that. then i let it rest for a few days. when i came back to it with fresh i eyes i was surprised at what i found. quite a few nice ones. yay! my friend would be able to send out christmas cards! in fact many of the shots i immediately dismissed the first time had quite a bit of potential the second time around. i got busy with photoshop(yes, lots of editing) and these are the ones that made the cut. who knows, maybe i'll try it again sometime.

a letter to the state fair

dear alaska state fair,

how we love you so. so much so that we braved a downpour to wander down your paths. a serious, bone-chilling, soggy downpour. thank goodness for your huge animal pavilion that beckoned to us to stay awhile. don't mind if we do. petting zoo, giant vegetables, fuzzy sheep, and huge hogs.

we love you so much we sat for a half hour in the dripping to see your lumberjack show. it was a yo-hooooe good time. the food, oh the food. of course, it's always your best feature. we forgo rides in favor of more cash for your delicious bites and morsels. turkey legs, hot dogs, hot chocolate, birch syrup caramel, halibut and chips, another hot dog for john, and dipped ice cream bars(yes, that was the boys' choice in the downpour and then they shivered all the way to the car). but even the shivering couldn't dim the spell you cast on us. we just munched on carrots from the alaska grown booth to occupy our chattering chompers.

love,
your biggest (wet) die-hard fans

how i organized my tiny kitchen without spending any money

my kitchen is small. cabinet space is precious. i cook a lot. every day, several times a day. i have tried various methods over the last 7 years we have lived here. none of them stuck, or were well-liked and efficient. about a year ago we started getting our milk raw from a farm in the valley and i was introduced to half gallon mason jars to store the milk in. i loved mason jars anyway, we used them as drinking glasses. the half gallon size quickly became my favorite. i love them for their versatility and uniform good design. i prefer glass to plastic for storing my food in and so these jars started multiplying in my kitchen.  it only made sense to make them the cornerstone of my organization project.  take a look . . .

before

not pretty or functional. the lunch boxes had  no home and the canned goods were a disaster, not to mention the disorderly food process strewn about.

wow. i don't even know what is going on down there.

the badly designed "pantry cupboard." seriously who ever thought this kind of cabinet was a good idea needs their
(ahem) head examined. it is too narrow and to deep to be useful at all.

after

first step: designate this awkward space the baking center. second step: kiss those cute tiernan cheeks. 

all the baking supplies and grains and flours now get to live happily ever after together.  my perfectionist half longed for a neat and tidy label maker, while my creative half got busy with the masking tape and a black sharpie. my perfectionist half  now likes what my creative half did with the place.

resting peacefully above is: the grain mill, kitchen aid, bulk grain bins, cooling racks, and binders of recipes.

ta daa!

the lower half of these shelves now houses the lunch boxes corralled together in a plastic bin stolen re-purposed from the play room, an old basket houses the plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and parchment paper, and the ice cream maker and rice maker now have a permanent spot to live.

then above that the food processor met the same fate as the lunch boxes and the immersion blender is loving it's new-to-it crate.

"the pantry" has been relocated to the upper shelves and shares the space with my zune dock(gotta have music while i am cooking or cleaning) and the toaster oven. is it weird that the sight of all those full jars makes me very happy? i hope not.

next up: the "china hutch." insightful aside: i find those crumbs on my counter to be particularly inspiring, don't you? 

the masking tape proved to also be helpful in labeling the shelves. high-five to my creative side!

hey look! I even had some 1/2 gallon mason jars left over to store in the "china hutch"

now this little project is something that almost makes me as happy as mason jars. i didn't get a before picture, but i assure you it was horrendous. i am sure this is not an original idea but i cannot remember where or if i saw it somewhere first. basically it is 2x4s cut to the length of the cabinet and stacked on top of each other to make stairs.

i can now see all my stuff! it also works great for my supplements and essential oils. love. it. so. much.

well, that concludes our tour. now the real question is will it still look like this six months from now? i am crossing my fingers but not holding my breath. *wink*

back to school feast 2009 and 2010

last fall i started a new tradition inspired by nie nie, a back to school feast. we had one again the night before school started this year. it was an instant hit for us all.

2009

i made each boy a crown

have you tried izze? i love those gorgeously designed bottles and the fact that it is 100% juice and sparkling water makes them a perfect special occasion treat

we gave each boy a new book to start the school year off right. they love berenstain bear books and the fact that i scored these ones at a thrift store in perfect conditions just sweetens the deal.

on the menu was roast chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli with butter, and izze. i am sure there was dessert but for the life of me i cannot remember what!

our theme for the year was honor and respect. it was very helpful to reflect back throughout the school year and remember our theme. it really helped reinforce those principles. after we ate dinner we had family home evening and john gave each boy a father's blessing.

2010

this years feast included izze, roast beef, mashed potatoes, buttered corn, and jello pretzel salad. we had chocolate chip cookies for dessert after family home evening and the father's blessings.

our theme this school year is be grateful. cool party trick: fold thin strips of coordinating paper accordion-style to make custom confetti for your table.

this year zander got the incredible book eating boy, asher got ol' 556, and tiernan got an eyewitness book on cars.

this year in lieu of crowns i got each boy an alaska railroad conductor hat and added a paper name label for the feast.

this is now one of our favorite fall traditions. thanks to nie nie for the great idea!