Valentine Afternoons

I love Valentines. It is really one of my favorite holidays because I love red and pink, I love glitter, I love cards, I love words, and I love making Valentines. So this year we had not one but two Valentine Card Making Lunch Parties. The first was with our friends and the second with members of our family.



I found this cute apple idea on Pinterest. And got the vintage looking paper plates, napkins, and cupcake picks at Hobby Lobby. I set out all kinds of papers, stamps, beads, glitter, etc for the craft time.




FRIEND TIME!!!


FAMILY TIME!!!


I got a bit smarter after the first party and changed the tablecloth to a vinyl wipe down one from Walmart.
Now this is a craft table that is being well used. Chaotic and Messy and Beautiful and Inspiring.

31 Photos of January

I was inspired to take the Instagram Photo a day Challenge for January. I found the list here of subjects for each day. It was such a fun project and made me look at every day through the lens of a new subject. Here is my finished collection:

Day 1: You
Me in Maroma, Mexico enjoying every moment of being there for my brother's wedding

Day 2: Breakfast
Being good and drinking my veggies for Breakfast every day this month.



Day 3: Something you Adore
Well, I adore many things about this photo...I adore naps at the beach on lazy sunny days and I adore the two people in this picture.

Day 4: Letterbox


Day 5: Something you Wore
My New Year's Eve Earrings which were a Christmas present from Brandon.

Day 6: Makes You Smile
The Eiffel Tower in person, in pictures, in miniature, in song, in any way, shape or form.



Day 7: Favorite
My favorite dish to eat in all of Atlanta is Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft's Meing Kum. It is spinach leaves filled with lime, ginger, peanuts, coconut, and caramelized palm sugar.



Day 8: Your Sky
Fordy Ford climbing high.

Day 9: Daily Routine
My kids at some point in the day being in various stages of undress.

Day 10: Childhood
My kids riding big wheels at my grandparents' house in the same driveway and the same cul-de-sac that my cousins and I raced our big wheels in.



Day 11: Where you Sleep



Day 12: Close-Up
Amazing Colors of Rainbow Chard found at Whole Foods Market



Day 13: In Your Bag
Makeup Bag



Day 14: Something You're Reading
Health Magazines and New Cookbooks since we are trying to eat healthier around here. I love my kids going crazy in the background of this photo.

Day 15: Happiness
Brandon being my dinner date for the rest of my life.

Day 16: Morning
I'm cheating and posting two photos here. The first is my kids having their breakfast at the kitchen counter that I finally cleaned off after way too many years of living here. The second is my brother reading with my kids while they snuggle close in their pajamas.

Day 17: Water
Raindrops on my windshield. Beautiful.



Day 18: Something You Bought
This week I bought this new White, Neon Pink, and Orange striped scarf from Target.



Day 19: Sweet
Roosters by Vosges Chocolate in Chicago.

Day 20: Someone You Love
Delaney Rox Denihan especially in layers and layers of mismatched winter clothes.

Day 21: Reflection



Day 22: Your Shoes
I'm a sucker for sparkles. The more glitz, the better.



Day 23: Something Old
My 1963 Ford Falcon Convertible that my dad bought for me the day I was born. I still get the biggest thrill every time I drive it.


Day 24: Guilty Pleasure
Permanent Markers: the more colors the better!


Day 25: Something You Made
An Eiffel Tower Onesie for Jacqueline's new little girl, Sutton.


Day 26: Colour
Buddha Hand Lemons at Whole Foods Market in Atlanta.



Day 27: Lunch
My lunch of a tofu and kale scramble while my family colors around me.




Day 28: Light
Shadow play!



Day 29: Inside Your Fridge


Day 30: Nature
The best climbing tree ever...at Riverside Park in Roswell.




Day 31: You, Again
Showing off my new purple/blue highlights.



Finally, here is the new list for February. Happy Shooting!!

Valentine Favors

Delaney and I spent time today making our first of many Valentine treats. First we made arrow snacks that we saw the idea for in Family Fun Magazine. We used Pretzel Sticks and Brachs candy gummy hearts. One bag of gummy hearts made about 36 arrows.



For each one, you need a whole heart and one heart that you cut a triangle out of to make a tale shape for your arrow .

And this is how we bagged them up. I got these stickers printed from Pear Tree Greetings. We put them on solid card stock and stapled them onto the clear bags. These will be for Delaney's four year old class at school.



Next we made some favors for Ford's class. We have bags of crayons and pieces of crayons laying around. I found this great idea for what to do with them on Pinterest.

I found the heart ice cube trays at Ikea. We filled them up and put them in the oven for 15 minutes at 250 degrees. Let them cool and then pop them out of the silicone mold. They turned out great. We bagged them the same way we did for the arrow treats. But we did add a note to the back of each that they are not edible just in case the three year olds in Ford's class think they look good enough to eat.

Eating Well

We've been eating all healthy around here lately. I've cut out most fun things like glutton and sugar and dairy and meat, etc. etc. etc. Basically I'm eating vegetables and fruits, nuts and some legumes. This has forced me to get very creative in the kitchen. I've been recipe searching all over the place and have written a few myself. It has been a month of much experimentation as to achieve every new texture and taste I can with very limited ingredients. I do not do well with repetition!

I have been wanting to try cooking Celeriac for a while having eaten it out at restaurants but never made it for myself. All the recipes I found either used butter or cream or something I can't eat right now so I made one up. This soup was the biggest hit of anything I've made this month. Even my 4 year old loved it!


1 celery root (celeriac) peeled and cubed
2 small apples peeled and cubed
1 turnip peeled and cubed
1 box organic vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
walnuts
truffle oil

Put all the above ingredients, minus the walnuts and the truffle oil) in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes or until all the ingredients are very tender. Strain out the veggies and apples but reserve the liquid. Blend the solid ingredients til very smooth adding the liquid back one ladle at a time until the consistency you want is achieved. This will use most of your liquid. Ladle into soup bowls and drizzle with truffle oil. Top with the walnuts and serve immediately.

I'll share more recipes later. Back to the kitchen for me!